Object Search Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
1976.1.0528 |
Object Name |
Doll |
Date |
1906 ca |
Artist/Author/Creator |
Kestner, J.D. |
Description |
Female doll named "May Blossom." The doll is 18" in height, with a bisque head, blue glass eyes, open mouth with teeth showing, blonde hair, strung joints at elbows, wrists, top of legs and knees, and defined fingers. Costume is ivory dress with lace at top of bodice waist, wrists, and skirt. Under layer is apron in off white with rows of pleats and scalloped edge. This is a Kestner 162. This doll was a favorite of Augustine's. Named May Blossom, the doll was "saved from the fire" when the first Blithewold burned in 1906. According to Curator, during the fire, Augustine allegedly pleaded for someone to retrieve the doll from the house. Family friend, Estelle Clements, made beautiful clothes for the doll, a whole wardrobe of coats, hats, dresses, petticoats, even handkerchiefs, some of which are preserved as part of Blithewold's textile collection. For Christmas 1903, Estelle Clements sent a gift of a wooden cradle (1976.1.1071) to Augustine, especially for use by May Blossom . Manufacturer is J.D. Kestner 1805-1938, Waltershausen, Thuringia, Germany. Kestner was making dolls by the 1820s and was one of the first firms to make dressed dolls. Besides wooden dolls, papier-mache, wax over composition, and Frozen Charlottes, Kestner made bisque dolls with leather or composition bodies, chinas, all-bisque dolls, and celluloid dolls. They supplied bisque heads to Catterfelder Puppenfabrik, Borgfeldt, Butler Bros, Century Doll Co., Horsman, R.H. Macy, Sears, Siegel Cooper, F.A.O. Schwarz, and others were distributors for Kestner. Early bisque heads with closed mouths marked X or XI, turned shoulder head, and swivel heads on shoulder plates are thought to be Kestners. After 1892, dolls were marked "made in Germany" with mold numbers. |
Maker's Information |
Incised on back: Germany 2 |
Materials |
Bisque, glass, composition, fabric |
Condition |
Good |
Associated with |
Augustine Van Wickle Shaw Toland Clements, Estelle |
Search Terms |
Doll Toy Lace Cradle Christmas |
Catalog Sub-category |
Toy |