Large - 23" long and very heavy - china head doll with a china head, hands and lower legs/feet. Cloth body. China head & shoulderplate - shoulderplate has a VERY faint number marked on the lower left corner that is almost unreadable - could be 174 or 176? Some paint loss to the hair on the top & back of the head. Shoulderplate has 3 sew holes at the back & front. Shoulderplate has a crack at the back that has been glued & is hidden by one of the ribbons applied to it. Lace & ribbon are glued to the shoulderplate and could possibly be obscuring other markings, but not likely. Cloth body, hands & feet are almost certainly modern, but the head & shoulderplate are harder to figure out - I have asked multiple doll specialists, Facebook groups with doll collectors, etc - and while some are saying the head is absolutely antique & even mentioned it could be a Kling head, others seem just as sure that it's not antique at all, but a reproduction. I know there is a Kling mold #176, and this appears that it could be a Kling head based on what I've found, but just not sure. Clothing is definitely modern (though very lovely). I need to know for certain what this is, year of origin, etc.
Dimensions
23" long
Acquired From:
Auction House
Dear Susan, Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry. The presented object appears to be an unmarked China shoulder head doll that was made around the 1860s-70's. It was probably made in Germany and has just a model number 176. Comparable objects were recently offered and sold on the international auction market. This piece is in good condition and no severe damage is visible in the images provided. A fair market estimation would be between 150 to 400 USD. This estimate is based on actual recent past recorded auction sales of comparable items. Retail "asking prices" can be higher and may vary. With kind regards, Gregory
