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Nelling, Inc.

C l o t h   D o l l s

(Click on photos to enlarge)  

Columbian Cloth Doll plus Note

19"
Clear Emma Adams Mark

$3,400.

Oil painted in the 1890’s by Emma Adams in Owego, NY, we have the first of two Columbian cloth doll examples being offered.  This dolls was painted with a very light touch, subdued hues of color and delicate strokes.  Her primitive face has soft, brown eyes, finely drawn nose structure, and almost heart-shaped orange-red lips.  Her head is painted in light tones, including her short, softly stroked, brown curls, pale complexion and gently rouged cheeks. She even has finely painted lines to suggest the skin folds at the corners of her mouth and over her chin. 

On the lower edge of her jaw, om the left side, there are some lines of paint worn off. Her body is all cloth with stitch joints at the shoulders and thighs, with attention to detail in the sewing of her fingers and toes.  There are tiny, rust colored drop stains on her body. One her lower back is the mark used before 1900, showing Emma E. Adams name.  After 1906, the stamp would read the name of her sister, Marietta.  The clothing and bonnet are antique and appropriate. And there is a written note of provenance, pinned to her slip, and the lace trim on both slip and pantaloons match!  

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Columbian Cloth Doll  

19"
Faint Emma Adams Mark

$3,200.  ON HOLD

Because this second Columbian cloth doll shown here is also from the pre 1900 Emma Adams period, we can compare her by noticing the bolder decoration of her facial features and hair.  While still early and light-handed, there is the use of stronger color hue and paint strokes.  Her oil painted face includes amber-brown eyes, brown brows and curly short locks of hair, soft, rose colored cheeks, and a more noticeable attention to the detail of the nose.   

Her mouth has a wider lip area, but also has the drawn accents at the corners and also above the chin.  The surface of her face is in excellent condition. Her body is marked with the Emma Adams stamp, although is almost intelligible, and it is very clean with beautifully detailed and stitched hands and feet.  The clothing, well-fitting underclothing, bonnet and leather shoes are antique and appropriate.

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Sculpted Stockinette Beecher Baby, 19"

$2,950.

Benefitting the missionary fund of her church from 1893-1910, Julia Beecher created and sold these unique, all stockinette dolls with stitch-sculpted features.  They were called Missionary Ragbabies and are also called “Beecher” type dolls, found in black and white versions.  The hair is looped, cream-colored yarn, the facial features are enhanced with hand painting (this example having brown painted eyes), and the ears are applied.

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The entire body is of flesh colored stockinette and a distinguishing detail are the stitched fingers and sometimes one hand with fist sewn curled in.  To further the endearing quality of her ultra-plumply stuffed body are the several dimples you will see sewn into the chest, lower stomach, elbows, and the seam that accents the rump! This example is in near perfect condition, with only a tiny hole in the stockinette near the mouth. The long, antique gown of fine print cotton fabric, joined by a ruffle-edged bonnet, may be original to the doll.   

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Gertrude  Rollinson Cloth Doll

17"
Nice Condition

$795.

Although similar to the Martha Chase cloth doll in look and time period, the dolls made by Gertrude Rollinson, beginning in 1916, are much more difficult to come by.  This Rollinson child has a pressed stockinette face and head, pale painted and shaded complexion and has textured, oil painted blond hair.  The eyes are painted a pale sky blue with black pupils, and the lips, a soft pink beneath tracks of a darker color. 

Even the formed ears are very detailed and slightly shaded. The body is a stitch jointed sateen with articulation at the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees.  The hands and feet have pronounced detailing with stitching between the fingers and toes.  Overall, the body is very clean and the head is very good original condition, only having rubs at the tip of the nose and some at the chin, and also the top area of the hair.  The red and cream striped, heavy  cotton shift is sturdy and possibly original. 

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Dora Petzold Doll, 18 1/2"

$950.

From the Art Doll Movement in 1920’s Germany came the artist, Dora Petzold and her thoughtful character children.  Using pressed cardboard or composition for the face and head, and various cotton fabrics for the bodies (this one having the Dora Petzhold mark on the derriere), these well dressed dolls catered to the elegant lady and boudoir doll customers of the day.  This slender young lady has a skillfully painted face with two-tone brown eyes, a bit of highlight color on the eyelids for depth, pale brows, a long nose and salmon pink painted closed lips. 

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Her soft, short hair is of blond mohair and her slender, firm cloth body is jointed at the shoulders and hips, with the added movement of a head that swivels.  A vivid, mustard gold felt fabric is the prominent aspect of her original coat dress and matching cloche hat, with the coat having cream wool felt collar and cuffs.  Underneath is her one-piece original cotton undergarment and she wears her original socks and antique leather shoes that may also be original.    18 1/2" Tall.

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Kathe Kruse Doll I

$3,250.  ON HOLD

Out of the Sherryl Shirran collection, this delightful 17" Kathe Kruse doll I was previously owned by the promoter and educator of antique dolls, Jim Fernando. Representing a girl, she has her original finish with soft brown painted hair and eyes, an even, smooth complexion and the early, wide-hip, stuffed cloth body, jointed at the shoulders and hips.  Her dress and sweater are original, as are her shoes and socks, with the cream socks with red borders being quite frail.

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The body is super clean with just some minor soiling or discoloration where the hands and legs were exposed to the elements. There is a spot on the left leg and some running of color below the back edge of the hair.  Underneath her foot are the stamped number and the written Kathe Kruse signature. Most likely the cotton seaside cap is an antique replacement that has protected her well-preserved head.

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Lovely Primitive Cloth

21"
Mid-19th Century

$1,950.

An early cloth girl with an appealing primitive quality, combined with a refined elegance.  The one-of-a-kind quality of these cloth dolls is so enchanting, when at the same time they remind you of something you have admired before.  Was she painted in the likeness of a family member, with her large and soulful brown eyes, rosy, pink, full lips and short cropped, honey-blond curls around her face?  She has a swing-jointed cloth body with leather arms, and stitched, moccasin type bootines cover her quite husky feet. 

Her antique straw bonnet with velvet trim is so attractive with her antique dress in a warm colored print.  Even the way the green velvet ribbon that secures her bonnet, seems to project a most graceful, finished presence about her. She has a swing-jointed cloth body with leather arms, and stitched, moccasin type bootines cover her quite husky feet.  Her antique straw bonnet with velvet trim is so attractive with her antique dress in a warm colored print.  Even the way the green velvet ribbon that secures her bonnet, seems to project a most graceful presence about her.

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Poupee Fabrette Cloth Lady in Purple

$950. (Still Available)

Poupee Fabrette Cloth Lady in Brown

SOLD

These two ladies came to us recently as sort of a mystery. Of course their similarity to side-glancing French boudoir dolls or Italian lady dolls was clear, however the nature of their model stance, life-like poses and intricate costume details kept us hunting for more information. Then, while dealing with completely separate doll collection, what surfaced but one more of these sultry ladies. To have never seen one before, then to fall upon three of them from two unrelated sources was intriguing. Finally, we unearthed a past auction lot that featured ten of these figures in one lot that brought an astounding $19,500.00 years ago. And in that lot are three familiar faces, as the sold lot was probably broken up and the dolls sold individually, with three of them now being in our possession. 

This posting is for the two you see pictured here, roughly 14 1/2” and 16” tall, both having softly stuffed stockinette faces and bodies, with painted, molded facial features and decoration depicting ladies of the pre-World War I era, but wearing costumes from much earlier fashion silhouettes.

They are called “Poupees Fabrette” and the lady in browns and blues wears a smart outfit from the 1880's, stands on a wooden pedestal and her wire armature holds a matching muff with her costume. The other lady in lavender depicts a high fashion female of the 1860's wearing an elaborate, two piece silk suit with metallic trim, a ruched chiffon over-skirt and dramatic drop sleeves on her button up, fitted jacket. Both of them have feather adorned chapeaux over their tightly curled locks of hair. The fabric of both dresses have weak spots that are melting, but both dolls display very nicely.  They are priced separately however a price for both is negotiable.

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Lenci Sport Series

17" (Doll)
Polo Player

$2,250.

From the ever-popular and desirable Sports Series, we have a well-suited Lenci Polo player with the 300 model face. Dating from 1930, he has light brown, side-glancing eyes on a molded felt pouty face with pronounced cheeks in an almost a downward pose. He has sandy blond mohair inset locks, molded and applied ears and a slightly olive complexion with a head that subtly swivels. His chubby child-like body is jointd at the shoulders and hips and is very clean along with the head, with just very minor signs of the almost 100 years that have passed since he was made. Just some occasional, faint, faint smudges seen around the face, and the costume has some soil discoloration on the pants or breeches.

His polo outfit scores First Place with the vivid red felt polo jacket, cream felt riding breeches with saddle area reinforcements, a cream felt knotted tie stuffed into the lapels of the jacket, a black felt riding hat and his original wooden polo stick with braited leather handle. Last but not least are the serious, black leather, knee-high riding boots of high detail and quality, onto which are mounted authentic metal spurs. 

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Black Cloth Doll

13 1/2"
Early 1900's

$675.

Dating from the early 1900's, this black cloth doll in her colorful outfit is quite charming! She has a face with features created by strategic stitching that creates a protruding nose, and her eyes, brows and mouth are created with embroidered thread. She even has some white stiching between the red lips and giving her a dot of light in each eye!

Her hair is a tightly crimped black yarn which is covered with a red and white polka dot bandana that picks up the vibrant color in her multi-colored print cotton dress. Over that is a white, heavy cotton apron where a swatch of her dress fabric is tucked neatly into a left side pocket. Her body is of black cotton cloth. For added details, she has a jade green cotton underslip, worn black leatherette slippers and even beaded glass pierced earrings!

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Lenci Mascotte in Original Box

$350.

Resting in her original, labeled factory box, is this spunky Lenci Mascotte girl (9"), dressed in her original “sweeper” outfit, holding her straw broom with wooden handle. She has light blue, side glancing painted eyes, long blond hair with a top bun and a slightly olive complexion.

Her costume is an orange-red and crème checkered felt dress with crème fabric apron, crème socks and orange-red felt shoes. The red color has faded somewhat but there are no mothholes visible. The box is is good condition, with wear at the corners of the lid.  Cara Bambina!

LW

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Lenci Sport Series - Rower

$1,450.  ON HOLD

From the rare and sought-after Lenci sports series comes this handsome guy (17"), the Lenci Rower (missing his wooden oar) who dates from 1930 Italy. His face is pressed and painted felt with the side-glancing shyness of the 300 series, with brown painted eyes and soft blond mohair on his swivel head. Also of felt is his chubby, stuffed toddler body, jointed at the shoulders and hips, as well as his rowing costume of cream with bold black stripes repeated on the shirt and cap. He is the proud winner of a blue ribbon from a past doll competition. Just a bit of soil is on his face, with a small area of wear over his right eyebrow.

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Early, Vibrant Cloth Girl

23"
Similar to the Columbian Dolls

SOLD

An early, hand-made cloth girl with a similarity to the Columbian dolls, who is certainly full of personality and life.  She has a friendly face, oil painted with strong colors that contrast beautifully with her pale complexion and gentle shading.  The head is of three-piece construction, with wear to the upper and rear surface of her hair, and a paint loss line near her mouth. 

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On her back there is a paper label that reads “Dr. Richter” and she has a cloth, one-piece head and torso, cloth legs stitch-jointed at hips, and leather arms, stitch-jointed at the shoulders.  Her fabric bonnet is fraying around the edge,  but it matches her abundant dress of beige cloth with  a playful floral print and red trim.  Her antique shoes are of black leather, with a detailed design.

nellingdolls@gmail.com

Post Office Box 4327  n   Burbank, CA 91503

       Cell (818) 738-4591   n Home Phone (818) 562-7839 

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