Plains Native American Child's Doll, ca. 1915
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GUEST:
I brought a tribal art doll that I know absolutely nothing about. I collect European dolls, and one of my friends in the mid-'80s was one of the people who tried to bring dolls to stamps. And the first time they tried, they were unsuccessful. My understanding was that it was general antique dolls.
APPRAISER:
Yeah.
GUEST:
So they put their heads together and decided, "Let's try to do American-made dolls." They pitched it again and they were successful. So my friend owns several of the dolls that are in the stamps. She was downsizing and asked me if I would like to buy some of her dolls. And this one interested me, and I bought it from her.
APPRAISER:
She's a Plains Indian doll.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
And it's really a little difficult to discern. The beadwork would say that she's probably Sioux. And it's a child's, girl's doll, like a toy. But it was also probably made by a, um, grandmother or a mother for her daughter or granddaughters.
GUEST:
Hm!
APPRAISER:
This doll is somewhat famous. If you've gotten an envelope in the mail and you've seen her face before...
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
...she's part of a whole group of different American dolls.
GUESET: Yes.
APPRAISER:
And I love the fact that a Native American doll, one of the First Peoples here in the United States, and all of the rest of the array of other dolls that were used in the same grouping, and that they represented a Native American.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Which I think is just great-- I love that. What I really like about her is, her condition is fantastic.
GUEST:
Nice.
APPRAISER:
And she's got her original moccasins in great shape. The face is made out of muslin and hand-painted.
GUEST:
Yeah, oh, nice.
APPRAISER:
And then everything is, like, hand-stitched, hand-beaded. So really a craftsman doll.
GUEST:
Nice.
APPRAISER:
And the hair is made out of horsehair. So that it...
GUEST:
Oh, I, I wondered. It was very coarse.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, and then it's braided. This was probably fabricated and made in the first quarter of the 20th century.
GUEST:
Nice.
APPRAISER:
And I, and I'm gauging that on some of the beadwork that's on there.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
I see that it's seen some use and some wear and some love.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
So I do believe that it was an actual girl's doll. Do you have any idea of a value, what, if you would guess?
GUEST:
I, I don't, and, and... The person I bought it from paid $400. And when I bought it, she said, "Pay me what I paid for it." So I paid her $400.
APPRAISER:
A doll like this is considered rare, and it's in great condition. It helps a little bit to be on the cover of a stamp, as well. The retail value is somewhere in the neighborhood of about $3,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my goodness. (laughing): That really surprises me! That's great, well, I love her, and I will preserve her in my collection. And I thank you so much for the information. That's really surprising to me.
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