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Earl     

Nelling, Inc.

G e r m a n   D o l l s

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Kestner 185 11"

Hard to Find Character $1195.

With her her side-glancing, painted brown eyes, this rare Kestner 185 character has a calming presence about her, and her easily displayed cabinet size of 11" makes her even more appealing.  She has that perfect, matt surface, Kestner bisque in a pale tone, softly blushed cheeks, and open closed, molded smile with teeth, and her original sandy brown mohair wig braided in pigtails and rolled into two side buns.

Her excellent, fully jointed Kestner composition body is no surprise, as Kestner manufactured the top quality bodies that we have come to expect.  The clothing she wears is an antique, light cotton dress with antique cotton undergarments and crowning her head is a garland of antique fabric flowers.  She wears simple, black oil cloth shoes.

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A.M. "Just Me"! $850.

Armand Marseilles character toddler "Just Me" in adorable 8" size and all original.  She has the unfired bisque head with blue, side-glancing or googly eyes that sleep, a tiny little turned down smile, chubby cheeks in a rosy blush, and a pale blond mohair wig.

Her five-piece, composition toddler body is in excellent shape with the right arm bent and the left one straight, jointed at the shoulders and hips.  Her original organdy outfit is a short, pink sundress with matching cloche bonnet and she wears her original, side snap oil cloth shoes with white socks.  She belongs in the unofficial Museum of Cuteness!

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Heubach Googly Fisherboy $395.

This Heubach cutie (7") has gone a-fishin' with his pole and sailor hat.  He has a bisque head, painted blue, side-glancing eyes, a watermelon smile and light brown painted hair with a molded tuft on top.

He has a five-piece, simple composition body, jointed at the shoulders and hips with molded and painted brown shoes and black socks.  For today's fishing trip he wears a red and white checkered cotton shirt and tan cotton overalls.  As of yet, the hook at the end of his line is still unoccupied!

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Kestner XI 16"

Early Child of Subtle Character  ON LAYAWAY

The Roman numeral series of early Kestners is so popular because they are exquisitely molded, beautiful children, that are all a bit different, but they share a common kinship of beautifully molded, semi-character features, with a closed mouth and pouty expression.  You could say quality as well, however Kestner surely made quality a habit!  She has brown glass sleep eyes, perfectly painted brows and lashes, in the same warm brown as her replaced, but gorgeous light brown mohair wig.

Coupled with this lovely bisque head is the signature, Schmitt-type composition and wood body that Kestner produced to compete with the French market, this one having jointed wrists.  Its attention to detail in lifelike molding and soft flesh original coloring makes for a very stable body that is perfect for posing and for filling out a terrific garment.  Both her feet have had some touch-up as shown in the photograph.  Her vey pale pink, muslin cotton type dress is antique as are her undergarments and atop her head is an older straw hat adorned with berry pink flowers.

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Early Simon Halbig Child Fashion ON LAYAWAY

Here is the study of a doll (20 1/2") that starts with a question mark. Is she German but looks French, for the French Market, a fashion but meant to be a younger girl, on what is the correct body?  YES!  It wasn't until I photographed her that she revealed herself for certain.  Her early Simon Halbig face is sweet, youthful and endearing with typical fine brows, lashes and shading, with the crossover French look that makes these dolls so desirable.  Blue glass almond-shaped eyes. slightly smiling closed mouth, pale bisque swivel head on bisque shoulder.

It looks, from the undisturbed leather around her shoulders, that her gusseted leather body has been with her forever, but the unexpected touch are her healthy lower arms and hands of soft paste china, posed similarly to the bisque arms found commonly on Simon Halbig dolls.  They are tinted a lovely pale pink tone.  Her human hair wig is a later French addition and her outfit is a colorful, country combo of a white, tucked cotton blouse and eyelet undergarments, under a black velvet vest and a salmon and black striped silk skirt that is a victim of time and elements due to its considerable melting.  How it plays with her wonderful, high profile antique bonnet with salmon ribbon trim makes the skirt a careful keeper!  Leather antique shoes and cream stockings.

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Simon Halbig 1159 Edwardian Lady $1,675.

Can't get enough of these confident Edwardian ladies by Simon Halbig having the 1159 mold number.  At 18", representing a transitional moment in fashion where bustles and padding gave way to more relaxed silhouettes that still achieved style but with more comfort.  As if she wants to speak to tell you of her accomplishments, she has lively brown glass sleep eyes, and open mouth with teeth, pierced ears and a loosely coiffed, original sandy blond mohair wig.

Her fully jointed composition body has the feminine contours of a fashionable young lady with its naturally cinched in waist.  It is in very good condition with just one pinky finger repaired.  Her original, pale aqua suit has a smart, long jacket over an empire waist dress with a cotton bodice and lace trim.  Perched on her head is a rabbit fur chapeau that matches her dramatic muff with a fox-like face on the front.

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Early Round Face Kestner $1650.

One thing that was never compromised at the Kestner factory was the quality of their product.  With so many types and molds to choose from, you can always be sure of beautiful bisque, sharp molding, appealing faces and lively or endearing characters.  In the early child doll category, we have a series of facial shapes, this one being the round early face with that creamy bisque, brown glass sleep eyes, closed mouth, slightly pouty, softly shaded cheeks and and antique, blond mohair wig.

Also, never disappointing are the Kestner bodies, this one being a fine quality, fully jointed. composition child body with straight wrists and realistically curved limbs.  Her crisp, white cotton clothing makes her shine from the undergarments to the low-waisted summer frock.  In her hair she wears a wreath of antique flowers, and she wears antique brown leather shoes that are worn.  She stands 12 3/4" tall.

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Kestner "Gibson Girl" $1650.

The Edwardian era of fashion was a brief one, making the hunt for dolls and clothing of that period an enticing challenge for many collectors. (Me for sure!) Based on the drawings of Charles Dana Gibson, this 19" lady's attitude with an upturned chin and confident pose makes her the poster child for a time when women were breaking boundaries and learning to find their place and be themselves.

Along with her clean, smooth bisque, she makes her statement with brown glass sleep eyes, a finely molded nose, tight closed lips and an auburn mohair wig in an easy but neat up-do.  Her bisque shoulder head is mounted on a Kestner, rivet-jointed leather body that has hinged, bisque lower arms.  As fashion began its extreme move into more ease for the women of the day, we see a much leaner silhouette, without the extra baggage of a bustle and frontal waist padding.  Under her dusty rose long skirt of antique silk and her lace blouse with puffed sleeves are her antique under garments that include an actual miniature brassiere.

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K*R Flapper Child and Extras 7" Doll

in Original Store Box $695

Still attached in her original store presentation box is this darling little Kammer and Reinhardt girl with some extra clothing and accessories.  She has blue sleep eyes, an open mouth with teeth, reddish brown mohair wig and a five-piece composition, flapper type body with molded shoes and socks,  Her right leg has a crack on the lower shin.

Along with the original yellow organdy dress and matching bonnet she is wearing, there are a couple of outfits for changing attached on either side of her, plus a celluloid mirror, a hankerchief and an extra bonnet.  The original store box has a colorful lid motif of two children and says "Dolly and Her Playtime" and all sides of the lid are present, however three of them have come loose.  The bottom is covered in the original pink paper and the condition of the overall cardboard is strong so someone skilled could probably rebuild the box.

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Bru-like Sonneberg Child 18"

Circle Dot Bru Look ON LAYAWAY

With such a close resemblance to a Circle Dot Bru, this German doll from the Sonneberg region is proof yet again that the artistry of the French doll firms like Bru and Jumeau was so respected and well imitated by other companies.  This is one of the best examples and the quality of her bisque and body are remarkably French in every way.  This is not the Kestner Bru, but most probably made by the factory of Gebruder Kuhnlenz.

The glass eyes are luminescent blue, the brows and lashes painted beautifully, the bisque very pale with peachy rouged cheeks and the mouth closed by with a tongue space in between to accentuate the Bru features.  She has pierced ears and a vintage, rusty red mohair wig with long locks.  Her fully jointed composition body is so French in nature with its chunky silhouette, flat elbow and knee joints and the posing of the jointed hands, and it has normal wear throughout with a small flattened circular area at the left chest.  Her matching, fancy frock and bonnet are expertly make in the French style with older fabrics.

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Simon Halbig "Santa" ON LAYAWAY

Having that lovable, cheerful face of the Santa, we have here the mold 1249 (18") of the series, however she steers from the expected once you notice her body.  Instead of a fully jointed composition body we are accustomed to, she has a rare, original body that has a pink, yes pink, high quality kid leather torso and rivet-jointed legs with fully jointed composition arms.  Her bisque socket head swivels on her bisque shoulder plate, mounted to the body.

Her translucent, pale bisque is a fresh palate for her blue glass sleep eyes, soft shading, open mouth with teeth, pierced ears and Anta signature, rose colored dot painted at the center of her bottom lip.  Her light auburn wig is antique and adds to her colorful, pink and ecru striped, low waist dress with black velvet trim and starched lace maxi-collar.  Undergarments are antique, and shoes are vintage.

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Franz Schmidt Flapper on Pedestal $295.

more German Dolls go to page 2

nellingdolls@gmail.com

Post Office Box 4327  n   Burbank, CA 91503

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

Don't forget to look at the Miscellaneous page!

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