Age of old doll's head?

[frogmarch]

A friend of mine who lives in a house that was built in the mid 1800s found this doll's head while digging in her garden right behind the house. The doll's head appears to be porcelain. The neck looks as if it once attached to a stuffed cloth body.

Anyone know how old the doll's head might be? The house has been occupied ever since it was built.

[sharp_stick]

1. It sure looks old

Try this site and good luck. Let us know what you find out.

http://collectdolls.about.com/cs/howtos/ht/howtoidentify.htm

[frogmarch]

2. Thank you!

I will.

[frogmarch]

5. I think it’s a Highland Mary doll,

with the painted eyebrows worn off and some of the paint on the lips worn off too. The paint on my friend's doll head is faded everywhere, but the defining blue eyes, bangs and curls are easy enough to see.



I gathered this info from a couple of links I saw at the URL you sent me. Thank you, sharp_stick!

The German manufacturer Alt, Beck & Gottschalck made the Highland Mary dolls. ABG made dolls from about 1854 into the 1930s at their porcelain factory near Nauendorf, near Ohrdruf, Turingia, Germany.

The Highland Mary dolls were first made in about 1880, but I found no info on for how many years. Some defining features of Highland Mary dolls are that they are German-made, have blue eyes, bangs on the forehead and curls on the sides and back of the head.

There were several styles of Highland Mary dolls, including Mary Morgan, Mary Vaughn and one called Nairne – which can be either a boy’s name or a girl’s name. Unlike Mary Morgan and Mary Vaughn, who are blond, Nairne has dark hair. I suppose Nairne is considered a Highland Mary doll because of the blue eyes and the defining bangs on the forehead and curls at the sides and back of the head. I didn’t find any information on how many different styles of Highland Mary dolls there are.

My friend will be glad to know she may have a Highland Mary doll’s head. She may never know for sure, because ABG placed their mark at the back of the shoulder, and my friend’s doll has only her head and part of her neck.

[sharp_stick]

16. That sure looks like it could be

the same doll. It's amazing what you can dig up.

[Lochloosa]

3. Some of those can be worth a fortune. Do the research

[frogmarch]

6. Yes, some can be.

I suppose a lot depends on what condition they're in, though.

I'll let her do the research if she's interested in trying to sell it, or even if she's just curious.

[underahedgerow]

4. I would guess about 1885, probably german or copied from a german toy.

In that condition, not really worth anything, but a lovely little bit of ephemera. A perfect condition specimen with all the clothing intact, etc, is worth less than 200 bucks.

It's very pretty though. I'd put it in my garden and let the moss and baby's tears creep up around it.

[frogmarch]

7. Yes, if not the real thing, it could be a copy of

a Highland Mary doll (which is what it looks like to me). Highland Mary dolls were made in the 1800s by the German manufacturer Alt, Beck & Gottschalck. ABG put their mark on the back of the doll's shoulder area, so my friend may never know for sure what she has, since her head has no shoulder area.

I love your idea for it!

[kristopher]

8. That's kind of creepy...

[frogmarch]

13. Old dolls are usually creepy.

To me, anyway. I saw one in an antique store a year ago, and since then I've had nightmares about it.

[Xipe Totec]

9. The Sundays - Blind

[frogmarch]

12. Thanks! I remember The Sundays.

Not sure what the doll represents, but it knows.

[Skittles]

10. anyone else think of Susie?

[frogmarch]

11. bwaaaaahahaha!

OMG! My friend Shelley is going to love it!

[jpak]

14. I am Tiny Tina....

[frogmarch]

15. Yes,

!!