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IN 111 - 5" Lovely Beaded Zuni Indian Lady

This is a nice large example of a beaded Zuni Indian doll. She is made in the more usual fashion with her beaded clothes and accessories added separately. Her hands have separate beaded fingers…rather odd looking splayed hands…and her feet have cloth soles, but beaded heels…an unusual feature.

Her beaded black tunic has pretty flowers down the right side and is trimmed with orange and green. Her apron is white with turquoise, and her cape down the back is green edged with red and white. Her hair is bundled in a band of red. On her head she carries a white 'pot' with a black and orange design.

This great beaded Zuni lady is priced at $145.00

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IN 108 - 3 ½" Early Skookum Papoose

There is such variety in these little papooses…all different mask faces, blankets and decorated boards. All of them originally came with mailing tags, but I'm sure most people just wanted to display them with their Indian families and quickly removed them…this little one lost his too.

This looks like a boy in his red and black blanket with a pretty leather decorated headband. He is tightly bound with raffia onto his painted cradleboard.

This cute baby is priced at $50.00

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IN 106 - 6 ½" Skookum Indian Boy

This is a cute little boy…he has the same face as the IN 105 girl and they would make a great pair…he just looks less shy…an independent chap! He is from the later period, the 1950s as evidenced by his plastic shoes.

He is in very nice condition with a clean blanket and his original wooden beads…multicolored with white, black, coral and tan. His "shirt" is a masculine red and black plaid plaid, and his pants (leggings) are yellow wool felt with light green edges. His mohair hair is thick and undamaged…held by an orange tape headband.

He is priced at $68.00

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IN 105 - 6 ¼" Skookum Indian Girl

This is a cute little girl…rather shy looking, as most of them are. She is from the later period, the 1950s as evidenced by her plastic shoes.

She is in very nice condition with a clean blanket and her original wooden beads…light green/turquoise. Her "blouse" shows a turquoise and white plaid, and her skirt is gray, lavender, and white flowered print cotton. Her mohair hair is thick and undamaged…held by a silvery/green tape headband.

She is priced at $68.00

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IN 104 - 13" Black Knitted Folk Doll

These dolls were mostly made in the 1880's…there were instructions given in the lady's magazines and women were encouraged to add their own embellishments.

This 13" tall black boy or man has individual fingers, cloth ovals for his eyes are added, attached with a blanket stitch, and his sweater has a laced front and a tuft in his pocket.

He is knit of wool and I see only a couple of small surface chews (moth damage) but they do not go through. Pants were probably once dark blue but they have taken on a somewhat greenish hue. I think his face and hands (and curly hair also) were once blacker…they have faded to a khaki/brown color.

If you like interesting and different dolls this is one for you!

He is priced at $195.00

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IN 103- 7 ½" Loveleigh Novelty ~ "Topsy" or "Mammy's Little Angel"

This is a charming example of "Topsy", otherwise known as "Mammy's Little Angel". Note her doll of wrapped cloth with a tiny pinecone cap…a candy cane in her right hand! She is in great condition with a very colorful outfit…wonderful face!

General information:
The fabulous Loveleigh Novelty dolls were made in Grantville, GA by Itura Rosalein Colley Leigh, better known as Miss Love (hence Love-Leigh). She started making dolls in 1924 and made them until 1954-56...the last ones were not painted by her, and the difference is noticeable.
The heads are English walnuts with great hand painted faces. The bodies have wire armatures wrapped with cloth and/or crepe paper. The earliest dolls can be identified by the dark red paint around the eyes...this was dropped in later dolls. Their legs and feet are always the same...flat wire that has been covered with crepe paper and painted. Hands are black felt with separate cut fingers. Fabrics and trims were gathered by friends and neighbors...sometimes just little snippets. She used odds and ends from her home in making the dolls...nothing was wasted! Petticoats and pantaloons on the ladies are always the same...off-white muslin with plain wide hems...no trims.
These character dolls depicted black life as she saw it in her town, presenting a dignified portrait of black people, not the usual caricatures. The first doll introduced to the public was "Old Black Joe", a cotton picker. He was followed by "Aunt Lucy" and then came "Mammy's Angel Child"...she was also known as "Topsy." Many other dolls followed including, the Preacher and his Wife, a young woman with an aspirin tin suitcase called Traveling Annie, a coach driver with a whip, a fishing boy, Banjo Players and the Little Watermelon Boy...one of the rarest is "Scarlet's Mammy" with her red taffeta petticoat showing. They are all wonderful!

"Topsy" is priced at $295.00

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IN 102 - 9 ½" Loveleigh Novelty ~ "Old Black Joe"

This is "Old Black Joe", a cotton picker…you will note that he does not look happy…no big smile on his face…that is usually saved for the ladies and kids! He is in excellent condition except for scuffing to his toes.

General information:
The fabulous Loveleigh Novelty dolls were made in Grantville, GA by Itura Rosalein Colley Leigh, better known as Miss Love (hence Love-Leigh). She started making dolls in 1924 and made them until 1954-56...the last ones were not painted by her, and the difference is noticeable.
The heads are English walnuts with great hand painted faces. The bodies have wire armatures wrapped with cloth and/or crepe paper. The earliest dolls can be identified by the dark red paint around the eyes...this was dropped in later dolls. Their legs and feet are always the same...flat wire that has been covered with crepe paper and painted. Hands are black felt with separate cut fingers. Fabrics and trims were gathered by friends and neighbors...sometimes just little snippets. She used odds and ends from her home in making the dolls...nothing was wasted! Petticoats and pantaloons on the ladies are always the same...off-white muslin with plain wide hems...no trims.
These character dolls depicted black life as she saw it in her town, presenting a dignified portrait of black people, not the usual caricatures. The first doll introduced to the public was "Old Black Joe", a cotton picker. He was followed by "Aunt Lucy" and then came "Mammy's Angel Child"...she was also known as "Topsy." Many other dolls followed including, the Preacher and his Wife, a young woman with an aspirin tin suitcase called Traveling Annie, a coach driver with a whip, a fishing boy, Banjo Players and the Little Watermelon Boy...one of the rarest is "Scarlet's Mammy" with her red taffeta petticoat showing. They are all wonderful!

"Old Black Joe" is priced at $195.00

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IN 101 - 9" Loveleigh Novelty ~ "Aunt Lucy"

Isn't she charming? I love the gauzy print fabric of her dress and her face is really great! Other than two small rips in the back of her head scarf, she is in excellent condition! A super example!

General information:
The fabulous Loveleigh Novelty dolls were made in Grantville, GA by Itura Rosalein Colley Leigh, better known as Miss Love (hence Love-Leigh). She started making dolls in 1924 and made them until 1954-56...the last ones were not painted by her, and the difference is noticeable.
The heads are English walnuts with great hand painted faces. The bodies have wire armatures wrapped with cloth and/or crepe paper. The earliest dolls can be identified by the dark red paint around the eyes...this was dropped in later dolls. Their legs and feet are always the same...flat wire that has been covered with crepe paper and painted. Hands are black felt with separate cut fingers. Fabrics and trims were gathered by friends and neighbors...sometimes just little snippets. She used odds and ends from her home in making the dolls...nothing was wasted! Petticoats and pantaloons on the ladies are always the same...off-white muslin with plain wide hems...no trims.
These character dolls depicted black life as she saw it in her town, presenting a dignified portrait of black people, not the usual caricatures. The first doll introduced to the public was "Old Black Joe", a cotton picker. He was followed by "Aunt Lucy" and then came "Mammy's Angel Child"...she was also known as "Topsy." Many other dolls followed including, the Preacher and his Wife, a young woman with an aspirin tin suitcase called Traveling Annie, a coach driver with a whip, a fishing boy, Banjo Players and the Little Watermelon Boy...one of the rarest is "Scarlet's Mammy" with her red taffeta petticoat showing. They are all wonderful!

Aunt Lucy is priced at $250.00

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IN 93 - 12 ¾" Sioux Indian Doll with Provenance ~ 1920s

This is a nice doll with a history to go with her! She has a handwritten note tucked up under her top in back..."Sioux Indian doll made by Mrs. Rebecca Blue Cloud, granddaughter of Chief Little Crow, famous leader of the Sioux Outbreak of 1862. She was an intelligent woman but became sick and poor. She is dead now. Doll is dressed in authentic Sioux Indian fashion."

She is dressed in soft leather with beading and fringed trims. Her face is embroidered simply with black thread...the nostrils are tiny knots...her hair is made of black thread also. The torso and legs (under the boots) of the doll are made from heavy cotton stockinet (perhaps old long johns?)...the body is firmly and evenly stuffed.

It's nice to find a doll with a history...most just leave you to speculate.

She is priced at $695.00

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IN 92 - 10 ¾" Handmade Leather Indian Doll

I am certainly no expert in these matters, but I think this doll is probably from the north central or northeastern region of the US. I always welcome knowledge or opinions from others and am happy to increase my knowledge too.

This doll is dressed all in leather and has a leather head and arms also, but the torso is cotton sateen that feels like it is stuffed with rags perhaps...rather lumpy. The facial features are embroidered with black (now dark brown) thread...the same stitches are used on the papoose on the back. Simple clear beads decorate the front and back of the tunic, clear pink beads on the ends of the sleeves and also on the papoose. The toy shield attached to the papoose is quite colorful and the moccasins have amber and turquoise beads. It does not appear to have ever sported any hair.

This is a genuine play doll I think...simple but appealing!

She is priced at $375.00

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IN 89 - 9 ½" Brown Felt Beaded Zulu Doll from South Africa

These dolls are wonderful! She is very colorful with lots of great beadwork. The doll is not marked in any way, but I believe these were made in the 1940s and 50s to fund relief projects for refugees.

I have had some of these dolls that were much larger, but this is a nice cabinet size. She has no moth damage and is clean and bright.

She is priced at $85.00

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IN 84 - 9 ½" Skookum Young Man with Papoose on His Back

This fellow is quite unusual and totally original. He carries a papoose on his back, and it is sewn in place with the original raffia binding. His short hair is held in place with a wrap of bandana fabric.

His blanket is clean and un-faded, as are his red felt leggings. He has a red and white plaid/check shirt to go with his red leggings and bandana...color coordinated again! His suede moccasins have red and green stripes; the right sole has the oval paper label with the rising sun design. Multicolor glass beads complete his costume.

This handsome fellow is priced at $175.00

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IN 78 - 11" Early Skookum Lady with Papoose

Here is a nice early Skookum lady with a composition mask face. She is mint condition...clean and bright. Her suede wrapped feet have the rising sun Skookum label.

She is wonderfully colorful with her red print skirt, a different red, green and black print blouse, green wrapped braids, a purple silk headscarf, and a blanket of orange, dark green, purple, and lemon yellow. Her suede boots have stripes of red and blue. Multicolor glass and wood beads complete her outfit.

She is priced at $250.00

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IN 76 - 12" Skookum Indian Chief

This little fellow is in excellent condition except for the fact that he has lost the tips of the headdress feathers....he must have been pushed into the original box (now gone) too many times...the headdress was supposed to be taken off and placed beside him in the box, but too often I have seen them scrunched in wearing it and it breaks the feathers off in this manner.

He has taped feet without decoration, and without label. His blanket is very clean, and his wig is thick and neat with the original chenille wraps.

He is the perfect size for your 10-11" ladies, and the 6-7" children.

He is priced at $185.00

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IN 74 - 15" Russian ~ Smolensk District Woman

This is another super Russian cloth doll in beautiful condition...she is very clean. She has a lovely hand painted stockinet face. There is a wee bit of fading to her kerchief and the blue trim on the front, but it is minimal. She has her tag...Made in Soviet Union...Smolensk District Woman, sewn to her blue dotted slip.

Her white cotton blouse has red patterned shoulder pieces and block printed red designs on the sleeves and at the cuffs. Her vivid red dress (or jumper) is made of cotton faille, bound and trimmed with blue and yellow...the yellow edge at the hemline turns inside to act as facing for the hem. Her head has an inner bright paisley cap or scarf, topped by a soft gold/apricot kerchief that ties in back...it has hand painted flowers on it. It feels like she has her hair in a bun in back under the head coverings. Her leg wrappings and straw sandals are perfect. She comes with her stand!

She is priced at $245.00

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IN 69 - 12 ½" Early Skookum Lady with Baby

I love these early dolls with real character faces…much more interesting than the later dolls. She has only a partial label…tan with a rising sun with most of the "Skookum Indian" intact. She is in pretty nice condition with a nice full mohair wig with the braids in the original paper and chenille ties. She also has a nice strand of glass beads. Her leather boots have the reflective beads in the paint giving them a brighter look than reality…tomato red and mint green…to go with her blanket. Her blouse is a nice 1920's cotton print…yellow with red, blue and green, to pick up the colors in her blanket. Baby has a printed paper ribbon headband.

Aside from a few stray hairs, slight fading, and a little bit of leather missing from the top left side of her left boot, she is in great condition.

She is priced at $ 330.00

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IN 59 - 9" Russian Character Boy Doll

Some of these cute little dolls have names given to them, but this charming googly eyed boy is tagged only...."Made in Soviet Union". He is 9" of charm...a little shy and tentative, but happy and friendly. He has a broad peasant face well painted on the silk stockinet surface, with little tufts of flax hair on both sides. He wears a tunic of red striped and patterned cotton over navy twill pants. He has enormous feet in straw sandals...the toe of the right one is damaged. He clutches a piece of yellow twill in his left hand..."his blankie"? Aside from overall soil (especially his big feet), and that right toe, he is in very good condition.

He is priced at $95.00.

We always have a lot of Russian dolls in stock...I collect them too, so if interested in anything not shown, please ask.

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IN 37 - Boy & Girl Pair of Skookum Children

This cute pair of children has always been together, so I'm keeping them that way. They are in very nice condition with full wigs and the original taped headbands. The blankets are good too, with no moth damage. The girl has a pink feather tucked into her headband in the back...it's original but a little ratty. They have the later plastic shoes.
The pair is priced at $95.00.

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IN 41 - 10 ½" Russian Cloth Girl ~ Play Doll

I consider these to be real play dolls, as the bodies are soft and flexible with joints at shoulders and hips, contrary to the more traditional Russian dolls which are un-jointed. There is a series of this size doll, representing different areas of the USSR. Her face is beautifully painted, as is to be expected, with bright blue eyes and rosy cheeks...a healthy country girl! She wears a red kerchief over her blond flax hair that hangs down the back in one braid. She wears a white blouse and apron, brown flannel vest and plaid cotton skirt. She has white knit stockings that reach just above her knees and black cotton shoes. She is in excellent condition but has a little black spot on her right hand...looks like ink.
She is priced at $115.00

We have lots of Russian dolls...I collect them, so if interested in others, or looking for one in particular, let me know.