Ceramic Dolls
The Museum's doll collection has many dolls made from bisque. Bisque was first introduced as a material for making dolls in the 1830s. It is a type of unglazed ceramic that was used to make their heads and limbs - the dolls' bodies and limbs were made from more hardy materials, such as moulded composition (a wood-pulp mixture) or stuffed cloth. Bisque was cheaper to produce than wax, which was the fashionable material for doll-making in the early 19th century. The main problem with bisque is that it breaks easily, which meant that children had to play very carefully with their dolls.
The introduction of bisque meant that more dolls could be produced and they were much cheaper. From the 1880s to the 1930s, the most sought-after and expensive dolls were made by French companies like Bru and Jumeau. But German manufacturers such as Armand Marseille and Simon & Halbig dominated the doll-making industry. German dolls were very popular, good value for money, and exported all around the world.
Mandarin’s Son
Dolls representing people of different nationalities and races became a successful product for English and German manufacturers in the latter half of the 19th century. This doll was made by the German company Bähr & Pröschild in about 1890.
Cedric
This doll is called Cedric and was made in about 1900 by the German manufacturer Simon & Halbig. He is a typical bisque doll because only his head is made from unglazed ceramic whilst his body is made of less expensive composition. This made him more affordable to produce and to buy.
Kämmer & Reinhardt
True baby dolls were not made until the 20th century. Prior to this most dolls were called baby dolls but actually represented children and adults. Kämmer & Reinhardt were one of the first manufacturers to make baby dolls. They called their baby dolls 'Character Dolls' and registered them as such in 1909.
Kewpie Doll
This is an all bisque Kewpie doll made in about 1913 by the German manufacturer J. D. Kestner of Waltershausen. It is jointed at the shoulders so that its arms can move up and down and has painted features, including its eyes which have been moulded onto the head and painted.
Three-in-One Doll
This doll is known as the Three-in-One doll as it has three different heads that go with one body. The doll was made in 1916 in England by the Doll Pottery Company. This was one of the few companies set up in England during the First World War to produce ceramic doll parts when German dolls were not available.
South East Asian Doll
This little doll, dressed as a Japanese baby, was made by the firm of Armand Marseille, which was one of the largest and most successful doll manufacturers in Germany in the 20th century.
