October 23rd 2010 Doll (18)
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/22/2010
Ca. 1910. Salem, NC. These will be sold as a pair because they have always been together. Beautifully oil-painted faces with very detailed eyes with eye shadow across the lids, shaded irises with white dot highlight, detailed nose, closed mouth with extended lip line, molded chins, Boy has brown eyes, painted ears with shading to show depth, and short brown hair with side part and individual shading strokes (He has a tiny hole in his forehead and one in his hair, an area on the back of his head where the top shading layer has flaked off, but the under layer is still there). He is wearing his original clothing: white cotton shirt and undergarment with blue cotton pants buttoned on, socks, leather sandals, and hat. The girl has blue eyes, dark blonde shaded hair with center part and brush strokes around her face (she has some paint loss on one eye and across the forehead into her hair, a little on the top and back of her head). She wears her original clothing: pink cotton dress with buttoned on belt, rickrack trim and pleats, white slip and onesie with tiny lace trim, original bonnet, stockings, garters and brown leather sandals. Clothing on both dolls is in excellent condition. The “Maggie Bessie” dolls were made by the Pfohl Sisters (Maggie & Bessie), two Moravian ladies in Old Salem NC, beginning in 1893. Reference: “The Pfohl Sisters and their Maggie Bessie Dolls” by Bradley Justice in November 2006 Antique Doll Collector. It’s very rare to find a matching pair of these dolls that have always been together. The boy dolls are more difficult to find than the girls. These dolls descended in the Hanes family of Winston-Salem, NC and are being sold by the family estate of Jane Tappero of Forest, VA. Extremely rare size.
Condition: (Excellent).
Item Dimensions: Largest: 20" T.