Antique French Dolls
The French antique dolls were made circa 1860’s, until the early 1900’s. These dolls were beautifully made. The porcelain clays they used were of very good quality, so the bisque was fine and unmarked. The china painting of the face was very distinctive, eyebrows and lashes had very specific styling. The eyes were generally large and paperweighted, which means a rounded protrusion on the front of the eyeball. Wigs were made of mohair or human hair. Ears were always pierced. Their costumes were lovely and made of natural fibres, silks , fine wools and cotton. The costumes were made, usually by hand and used complex patterns with fancy trims, which are very hard to find in modern times. Bru and Jumeau are two well known names of doll makers, these dolls fetch large prices on the market. They are truly beautiful. Bodies were made of paper maché, composition-jointed bodies or leather and porcelain.

Antique German dolls were made circa the 1870's to 1930. One of the largest manufacturers was Simon & Halbig. They made heads for many other companies. The German doll faces were more realistic than the French, very lovely children were a specialty. They were more plainly dressed, more realistic. The eyes were of blown glass, quite a few had sleep eyes of flirty eyes, open mouths with teeth and tongues. Ears were not generally pierced.