Handmade Porcelain Dolls

Believe it or not one of the largest hobbies in the world is collecting antique dolls most especially handmade porcelain dolls. The history of the porcelain doll dates back to 1770 when the very first dolls were made by hand in Cornwall, England. The original dolls had molded hair, teeth, ears, tongues and eyes which where sometime made to look heavy lidded. These handmade porcelain dolls are now amongst the rarest and most collected dolls in the world. However unlike the handmade dolls of later years these dolls wore contemporary clothing rather than being dressed elegantly like those of later years. When the Germans started to make porcelain dolls they used an underglaze to provide the facial colors and rosy cheeks which were then sealed under a white overglaze that not only sealed in the color but gave them a pure white complexion that did not fade with time or handling.

The Germans also created a head and shoulders doll instead of just a head like the early English ones. In the 1800's handmade porcelain dolls were made to represent all ages of boys and girls as well as men and ladies but the hair was still molded flat and close to the head with extra attention being paid to the legs and feet so that they could sport fancy shoes and boots. In many cases the heads were sold separately so that mothers could create the rest of the dolls themselves. By the middle of the 19th century dolls had locks of dark hair and were made of glazed porcelain. Now not only were the heads made of porcelain but so were the hand and feet. Throughout the rest of the century new innovations like swiveling heads and a variety of hairstyle were developed and in the latter part of the century the French created a doll the size of a four year old with a hollow trunk and jointed limbs. By the end of the century molded hair gave way to wigs and bodies with china limbs.

handmade porcelain dolls gave way to factory made ones in the early 20th century and began to look more like full grown ladies instead of baby dolls with some of the fashioned to look like famous stars of the day. handmade porcelain dolls are made by pouring bisque or liquid clay into a mold or by pressing rolled out clay into a mold, the poured heads tend to have a more consistent layer when compared to the pressed ones. The process is still being used today by a few artists to create their own unique line of porcelain collector's dolls. Often these dolls are still like their predecessors and reflect the ethnic roots of the creator. One such creator of handmade porcelain dolls is Yolis Dolls, her line of dolls are created to represent the ethnic tribes of Iran and come complete with clothing that showcases each tribes unique look. Each doll that is created is a one of a kind collectable complete with a specially written legend all of its own and comes mounted on a wooden display stand.