Ethnic and Folk Dolls

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IN 98 - 12" Rare Bahr & Proschild '244' Indian Doll ~ All Original

This doll is totally original...so rare to find a costume as complete as this. I don't know if the doll originally came with the papoose or not, but they seem to have been together a long while, and the scale is perfect.

This head by Bahr & Proschild, mold number 244, is lovely...the bisque is fine and smooth, well painted and an elegant face...sober, but not glowering like the usual AM heads. The head is marked only with the mold number. The ears are pierced and have the original brass earring. A necklace of red glass trade beads covers the neck joint. The cotton 2 piece outfit has never been removed...still has the metal buckle on the belt, and all of the red and navy blue wool fringe.

The feet have the traditional yellow shoes with heels...why this design? About a year ago someone did an article in Antique Doll Collector (I think I am right) about the "Yellow shoe Indian dolls".

There are no real faults with this doll...the head and body show no damage...the wig is a bit thin, but original. The papoose has lost all of its hair, but it has molded and painted hair too, so that isn't a critical issue.

This lovely and very hard to find doll is priced at $1050.00

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IN 95 - 8 ½" Early Alaskan Eskimo Doll

This is another fine quality early Eskimo doll with a great carved wooden face and superb outfit using many different types of fur. His face has nice dark patina and well carved and painted features.

His parka has a very soft ruff surrounding his face and dark brown and white stripes at the bottom...very decorative. His mittens have separate thumbs. His boots are sealskin and on the soles is stamped "Alaskan Eskimo" and "U.S.I.A." (US Dept of Indian Affairs). I believe him to be from the 1920s.

Aside from a small split on the top of the right boot, he is in super condition...a nice early doll!

He is priced at $215.00

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IIN 94 - 9" Nice Early Alaskan Eskimo Doll

I love this doll...the condition is just exceptional, with no problems to report. The wooden face has great dark patina with carved and painted features, and is surrounded by a froth of fine soft hair...perhaps musk ox? I wish I could identify all the different furs used...the boots are sealskin...that's an easy one! The parka looks like Lynx...soft golden brown with flecks of white and dark brown.

The mittens with separate sewn on thumbs were perhaps bluer originally and have faded...just a hint of blue now. The dark sealskin boots have scraped sealskin soles with many tiny pleats at the toes and heels to shape them.

This fine doll is priced at $245.00

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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 91 - 12" Sioux Leather Indian Doll

This is a great doll with lots of detailed beading. He has a tiny little tag pinned at his right shoulder "Sioux". He has a porcupine quill breastplate that hangs from red glass beads. His soft leather shirt is beaded around the armholes and down the sleeves with red, yellow and white beads. His leggings have red and white beading down the outside edges and around the bottom edge, both front and back. His moccasins are gorgeous with red, white and blue beads...very colorful!

His face has a piece of wood underneath to shape his nose, and his eyes, nostrils and mouth are beaded also. His hair is human I think (perhaps horsehair but it feels softer than that)...dark brown and sewn onto the black cloth back of the head.

He is a nice doll ready for any collection of native American Indian items. He is priced at $445.00

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IN 90 - 8 ½" Black Cloth Man With Chicken Under His Arm

I have had many of this series of dolls over the years...they were made in Alabama but sold as tourist items in many states and had tags with slogans attached...these are usually absent. There were also mammy dolls, preachers, chain gang prisoners, and others, and they were all mounted on pieces of asphalt shingle with a green surface...making for easy and attractive display. These date from the 1930s and 40s.

This fellow is in excellent condition...I see no damage. He carries a cute crepe paper chicken under his arm and is balanced by his walking stick in his right hand.

He is priced at $85.00

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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 88 - 9" Totally Charming Sock Mammy Doll

How can you resist such a happy smiling face...you just have to smile in response! Her black iridescent glass bead eyes sparkle too! She is very well crafted and appears to be from the 1920s or 30s. Her head and limbs are made of black cotton stockinet...the torso is quite firm and has a cardboard "seat" within, so she sits very well...her knees have sewn joints also, making her very flexible.

Her red and white checked dress has lace trim at the sleeves and neck, and is topped with a soft lace-trimmed shawl and apron. She wears pantaloons with trim also. Her red bandana head scarf has attached bead earrings and she also has a thread and bead necklace.

She would add a happy touch to any doll collection!

She is priced at $175.00

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IN 86 - 12 ½" Lovely Skookum Lady with Baby

I recently got 3 great Skookum Indian dolls...all remarkably clean and bright. I find it interesting that so much of the appeal of these dolls depends upon the skill and "artistic eye" of the women who dressed them...how much care they used in choosing the combinations of blankets and fabrics. These are winners!

This lady is in super condition...she was obviously packed away...no fading to her blanket and it is quite unusual. Note that her blouse and skirt are both red and white checks, but with a smaller pattern on the blouse. Her braids have the original floss wraps, and she wears a long strand of multicolored glass beads. Her suede moccasins are painted with red and blue (the paint contains little beads that reflect with the camera flash). The oval paper "Bully Good" label with the rising sun design is on the sole of her left foot.

She is priced at $295.00

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IN 85 - 10" Smiling Skookum Girl ~ Charming!

This is a delightful little doll in super condition. I love her pleasant smiling face! She has to have been dressed by the same woman as did IN 86...note the polka dot blouse and skirt...one red, one blue. Also notice how she duplicated the wonderful colors of the blanket in making her felt moccasins. Even her long glass beads feature the same colors. Couldn't ask for a nicer example of this face!

She is priced at $195.00

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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 79 - 9" Early Skookum Young Lady ~ Teenager!

This is obviously a younger face...hence my calling her a teenager! She is an early doll with a composition mask face and is in mint condition...clean, un-faded and undamaged...they don't come any nicer! I like this style too and they are seldom seen...the blanket pulled up over her hair as though she were cold. What might appear as a dark mark on her face is just a stray hair.

Her blanket sets the tone with her...with somber shades of gray, black, and mauve/terra cotta tone. Her braids are tied with gray chenille, and her beads have prominent black beads in the center. Her cotton dress is one piece in a cream/beige/yellow/melon tiny print. Her leather moccasins are pale beige with orange and green stripes. The bottom of her right foot has the rising sun label.

She is priced at $155.00

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IN 80 - 6 ½" Early Skookum Boy

It's getting harder and harder to find these early ones with the composition faces...most of the little ones I see seem to be plastic now with plastic shoes...even they are 50+ years old now, but this little boy is from the 20s...he has spent his life packed safely away to still be in this fine condition.

His blanket is tan, black, gray and cream...natural colors for the boy...but his felt leggings are bright orange! His shirt also adds some color with a Kelly green and white print. His thick hair is held in check by a red suede headband. His feet are clad in suede also with blue and red stripes.

It may look like his eyes are grayish...they are not...quite black...it was the flash reflection on them.

This cutie is priced at $95.00

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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 77 - Skookum Papoose & Mailing Tag in Woven Cradle Basket

This is a nice little papoose with his 2 cent mailing tag...can you imagine doing this today? He was sent to a young lady in Providence, RI...no date visible. Along the way, the child acquired a nice little woven splint cradle basket...wonderful to display him!

Other than a little fading to the top of the basket, the condition is super!

This is priced at $85.00

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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 52 - Early & Shy Skookum Papoose

Here is another little Skookum papoose. The backboard is 3 3/4" long and the blanket wrapped baby is about 3 1/8". She is tied with the original raffia bindings and the backboard is decorated with light blue and yellow paint. This is an early one with a German made composition head...nicely painted with a rather shy expression...those are stray hairs you see...not scratches on her face. She's a sweetie!

She is priced at $49.00.

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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 33 - 6 ¾" Very Shy Skookum Girl

This sweet and shy looking girl is in excellent condition, with a full head of hair and her original taped hair band. Her beads are unusual...they look moldy, but they're not...it's a sort of beaded, somewhat reflective, finish...like that used to decorate some of the taped feet. Her blouse is a pink print to go with her beads, and looks nice with the blanket of mauve, tan, and lavender. Her cotton print skirt has pink roses on a cream ground.
She is priced at $60.00.

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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.