by Tracy Bishop

Created on: January 19, 2008   Last Updated: November 25, 2008

PORCELAIN DOLLS THROUGH THE AGES
If your interested in porcelain dolls did you know their history goes back to 1770 when the first porcelain doll heads were created in Cornwall, England. The English doll makers created porcelain heads to have molded hair and eyes. The eyes were inset or heavy lidded. Ears, teeth, and tongue for these dolls were also molded. Inset teeth were glued into the doll's mouth.

In Germany doll makers created shoulder head dolls of overglazed porcelain. The overglaze made the porcelain glossy while keeping the whiteness. Cheek and facial color came to life with underglaze.

The first dolls showed the clothing, hair styles, and fashion trends of contemporary fashion, but in the 1840's to the 1970's not all doll heads showed the elaborate fashions. Feathering was painted on the simple dolls. The less elaborate dolls showed boys, children, and babies. Untinted bisque dolls of the 1860's wore neat flat hairstyles. The hair was molded close to the crown with a part in the center. These dolls portrayed older boys or children, but the doll heads portraying women were still created with simple hairstyles. An important feature of the later dolls is the use of bisque on the lower limbs. Plenty of attention was given to legs and dolls showed tiny molded feet sporting painted boots.

Dolls heads made with high glaze and hard porcelain were often sold alone. Mothers or nursemaids would then put together the body of the dolls. China dolls were created to resemble men, women, and children in porcelain in the 1830's. In the year of 1840, in Germany and Scandinavia china factories created doll heads composed of glazed porcelain. The doll heads were mainly female with pale coloring and locks of dark hair. Arms and legs were also porcelain. The body of the doll, was still made of cloth. Dolls completely of porcelain were also made in 1840, later to be known as Frozen Charlottes.

Frozen Charlottes also known as bathing dolls, were produced between the years 1850-1914. Manufacturers created them with long unmovable arms. Frozen Charlottes had clenched fists and black or blonde painted on hair. Some of the dolls hair was molded like a little girl's hair. Frozen Charlottes sometimes wore molded clothes, boots, and bonnets. The boots were an array of different designs. The china used to make these dolls was white or pink. Old types of these dolls have black kiln dust specks baked into the porcelain.

French china dolls sported high glazed porcelain and were made

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