Porcelain Doll

The doll wearing an ankle length off-white silk dress. The dress has brown staining and large tears in the centre. The dolls pink face is dirty with old adhesive where the wig was previously attached. The right foot is damaged.

Identification

  • Object Type: Porcelain doll with silk clothing
  • Date: early 1890s 
  • Origin: German doll manufacturer with British style clothing 
  • Owner: Private
  • Maker: Armand Marseille 
  • Measurements: 
    • Height: ~ 31 cm
    • Head diameter: ~ 5 cm
    • Body diameter: ~7 cm
  • Materials: Porcelain doll head with kid leather body filled with sawdust, silk undergarments and dress, and wool jacket with silk lining 

Summary

During the first semester, I worked on a doll that had a porcelain head and kid leather body that was filled with sawdust, and four layers of clothing including combination undergarments, and underskirt, a silk dress, and an overcoat. 

The doll was manufactured by the German manufacturer, Armand Marseille. The clothing is in the style of the early 1890s – a pattern similar to the combination undergarments can be found in an 1892 edition of Harper’s Bazaar magazine which fits with the estimated date given by the owner. 

The doll face needed cleaning, and each layer of clothing required repairs ranging from securing loose threads to large structural repairs. The silk dress was most affected with dark staining around the hem and significant structural damage as the silk was shattering. The underskirt and jacket had areas of loss which required patches to prevent further fraying. 

Behind the Scenes

The six elements of the doll and clothing. On the left side is the doll with a pink painted porcelain face and yellow kid leather body. A light brown wig is detached from the head above the doll. In the centre is an off-white ankle length skirt, and full body sleeveless combination undergarments that open down the centre. On the right is a green ankle length coat with dark metallic braiding and off-white silk lining. Below the coat is an off-white ankle length silk dress with smocking on the bodice and large sleeves. The dress is very damaged with a large hole in the centre.
The six elements of the doll and clothing.
The doll wearing an ankle length off-white silk dress. The dress has brown staining and large tears in the centre. The dolls pink face is dirty with old adhesive where the wig was previously attached. The right foot is damaged.
The doll prior to conservation treatment.

The conservator who treated this object is Quinn, click on the profile to learn more.

Note: All images were taken by the conservator unless stated otherwise.

Quinn, a white person in their early 20s with short brown hair and glasses. They are smiling softly and glancing to the right and wearing a plaid shirt. The photo is in black and white.

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