Milliner's Model Doll, ca. 1840
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GUEST:
Well, I have a little note that was written in 1922, I believe. And it claims that she came to the States from England in 1703. I'm a little dubious. And I just know of where she's been since 1920s. And ultimately she's come to me.
APPRAISER:
The doll is very early, but not as early as the note states. The doll was made in Germany about 1840.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
And it's made of papier-mache. It has a leather body with wooden arms and legs.
GUEST:
But the head is papier-mache.
APPRAISER:
The head is papier-mache. Papier-mache is a very fragile substance. It can break easily, the paint can crack and flake off easily. So it's important that you keep it in a very kind of mild temperature that doesn't change. This doll, for many years, has been labeled as a milliner's model doll, made to show the millinery and the hairstyles of the period and sent around the world. It's a misnomer; they were toys. What's wonderful about your doll is it's all original. We do have a little bit of shredding here, so you have to be careful when you handle her that it doesn't extend. These dolls are evaluated by how fancy the hair is. Now, if we look at this doll, she has curls extended on the side, and she has this immense comb with a bun in the back, and then her neck is bare from the hairline down. The doll on today's market in a retail setting would sell from $1,800 to $2,000.
GUEST:
She's a survivor.
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