Nelling, Inc.
Cloth Dolls
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Rare Martha Chase
15"
"Little Nell"
$2,000.
From the Charles Dickens book, The Old Curiosity Shop, is inspired this sweet cloth character doll by Martha Chase of Rhode Island, circa 1910. Her name is “Little Nell” and she is found in a range of different outfits for a young miss, usually in printed cottons. The cloth doll is a firmly-pressed stockinette, having an oil painted face and chestnut brown hair, with the hair on this doll being parted in the middle and pulled back into pasted cloth braids.
On the top of her head on her right side is some paint loss. She has blue painted, dotted eyes, black upper eye liner, a closed mouth and softly blushed cheeks. On her forehead is the extra detail of two painted, short strands of hair. Her body is sateen, with oil
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17 1/2" Early Cloth Folk Doll
$2,450.
This is definitely a one of a kind, early painted cloth child that has seen a long history of family time, playtime, sunshine and the elements of nature. Still, in its faded sweetness, it carries a warm presence and importance to the abstract, primitive or folk cloth collector. From her right shoulder hangs an old tag with her name, “Phoebe Jane”. The entire doll is stuffed cloth, with the lower legs being of a different fabric to signify shoes and socks.
Both the hands and the feet or shoes have wear to the edges where some stitching has come loose. The blue and cream print dress is still fairly vibrant as it has been protected by the red, gold buttoned jacket and on the head is a very loved blue fabric bonnet with worn red trim. Thoughtful painted features remain on the face for a subtle connection to her past.
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17" Kathe Kruse #1
$3,050.
Early Kathe Kruse Doll #1 with classic character face, original painted features including brown eyes and subtly shaded complexion, light brown painted short hair with scuffing at the top and top back half of the head, clean, tightly stuffed cloth body with stitched mitt hands and separately stitched thumbs, stitched toes and printed number marking on the bottoms of the feet.
The cream, navy, light blue and gold plaid cotton shift looks original and has vibrant color, shoes and socks are as old as the doll, as is the cotton underwear. Originality of shoes and socks not known.
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French Leather Baby
5"
in German Marklin Carriage
$2,475. for Both
An elusive French leather baby from the early 1920s sits in a German Marklin carriage with the original, but very worn, hood. The original cream-painted metal surface of this sturdy, high-quality carriage shows some wear, which is expected. The baby is jointed at the shoulders and hips of her smooth, flesh-tinted, all-leather body, and her pressed leather face has suffered puckering on the head over the years. The painting is intact, as are the textured accents on her molded blonde short hair.
She wears an antique baby gown and crocheted bonnet. Little is known about these extremely rare leather babies, and of the few examples to be found, it appears that fewer than a handful of artists were producing them, judging by the few recognizable face styles.
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Black Cloth Doll
13 1/2"
Early 1900's
$675
Dating from the early 1900s, this charming black cloth doll wears a colorful outfit. Her face features are created by strategic stitching that forms a protruding nose, while her eyes, brows, and mouth are embroidered. A small touch of white stitching adds light to each eye, and her red lips are beautifully defined.
Her hair is tightly crimped black yarn, covered with a red and white polka-dot bandana that complements the vibrant colors of her multi-colored cotton dress. Over this, she wears a heavy white cotton apron, with a swatch of dress fabric neatly tucked into the left-side pocket. Her body is made of black cotton cloth, and for added details, she has a jade green cotton underslip, worn black leatherette slippers, and beaded glass pierced earrings.
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Lenci Mascotte in Original Box
$250
Resting in her original, labeled factory box is this spunky Lenci Mascotte girl (9″), dressed in her original “sweeper” outfit and holding her straw broom with a wooden handle. She has light blue, side-glancing painted eyes, long blond hair with a top bun, and a slightly olive complexion.
Her costume consists of an orange-red and crème checkered felt dress with a crème fabric apron, crème socks, and orange-red felt shoes. While the red color has faded somewhat, there are no visible moth holes. The box is in good condition, with some wear at the corners of the lid. Cara Bambina!
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Mailing Address
119 Muirfield
Williamsburg VA 23188
Phone
(818) 738-4591