Porcelain Doll History
In modern times, porcelain dolls are often manufactured for adult collectors. Throughout history, porcelain dolls were manufactured as toys for little girls. Porcelain dolls became popular in the nineteenth century and were made using two different materials, china and bisque. Originally porcelain dolls were made to look like fashionable ladies but eventually were made to look like all ages.
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History of Materials
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There were two common materials that were originally used to create porcelain dolls: china and bisque. The difference between the materials is that china is glazed and bisque is unglazed. In the 1840s, china doll heads were popular. In the 1860s, bisque porcelain dolls started gaining popularity over china porcelain dolls because it could be fired twice and color could be added after the first firing, which created a natural skin color for the dolls.
The First Porcelain Dolls
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The first porcelain dolls were made of china and originated in Germany, Denmark and France and became popular in the early 1800s. These dolls were made to look like fashionable ladies of the time. The doll's feet were porcelain as well and were painted to look like stockings and boots. The hair was a part of the head mold and depicted fashionable ladies' hairstyles of the time. Denise Van Patten of Dollymaker.com describes the hairstyles on the porcelain dolls as the "covered wagon" style, the "Alice in Wonderland" and the "Dolly Madison." The "covered wagon" style is "hair flat on top with sausage curls around the head," according to Van Patten. The "Alice in Wonderland" is long hair with a head band. The "Dolly Madison" is short curly hair with a ribbon around it.
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The First Child Porcelain Doll
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The French "Bebe" was the first porcelain doll that was made to look like a child. The Bebe was first manufactured by Emil-Louis Jumeau in 1850. By the 1880s, most of the porcelain dolls manufactured were "bebes." These dolls were made of bisque porcelain. These dolls wore clothes that depicted the fashion of little girls of the day and were quite pricey. Only wealthy families could afford Bebe dolls until other doll makers started to make the Bebe dolls for a lesser price.
History of Manufacturing
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When porcelain dolls were first made, they were each uniquely crafted and made by an individual doll maker. In the late 19th century, German doll makers started to mass-produce porcelain doll heads, arms and legs. By the 1840s, German, French and Danish manufacturers started created just the china head to be later attached to a body. These doll pieces were exported, sold, attached to doll bodies and resold. Around 1880, porcelain doll heads were sold separately and the doll owner could then sew her own doll body and outfits.
Dollmakers and Manufacturers
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The first famous historical creators to make the fashionable bisque dolls were Jumeau, Bru, Gaultier, Rohmer and Huret. French doll maker Leon-Casimri Bru was known for making high-quality, expensive dolls that only wealthy children could be fortunate enough to own. Jumeau became famous as the creator of the "Bebe" doll, the first porcelain doll depicting the image of a child. Bru, Steiner and Rohmer made Bebe dolls, following Jumeau. German doll makers took over the manufacturing of the Bebe dolls from 1890 to 1930. These dolls were more affordable. The manufacturers of these dolls included Armand Marseille, Simon & Halbig, Kammer & Reinhardt and Heubach & Kestner.
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References
- Photo Credit Porcelain doll image by ta_samaya from Fotolia.com
