Could these three jolly 7 in. wood elves be Santa’s helpers on the day after Christmas? They are staying cozy in their knitted outfits after a job well done. A tag on their foot reads “Made in Sweden.”
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Walnut Head Dolls
These 8 in. walnut head folk dolls have similar carved wooden bodies and arms. Dowel legs are pegged into the body. The one with the basket has a tag that reads, Grandma Snazzy, An Ozark Doll. It is a vintage mountain folk art doll circa 1930’s-1950’s created by Vina Smith.
Wooden Dancing Doll
This 9.5 in. carved and painted wooden doll is made to dance on a board by holding the stick attached to its back and vibrating the board. The arms, hips, and legs are loosely joined to allow for the dancing movements.
Shackman Bisque And Jointed Wood Doll
Shackman Co. made 8 in. undressed reproductions of china heads on a wood jointed body in the 1990’s. I have two of them. I found a suitable pattern and made a dress for the one standing.
1920s Blue Eyes Doll
I was unable to find anything about this 1920’s Blue Eyes – The Doll Bag found at a flea market in her original box. She has a 4 in. wooden painted head and upper body with arms strung through the shoulders. A 7 in. cotton bag is attached to the waist. It closes with pull cords at the bottom so one must carry it with the doll upside down. It is from Village Toy Works, Evanston, Illinois.
Polish Wooden Dolls
These 7.5 in. wooden dolls were made in Poland during the 1970’s or earlier. They have elastic strung joints, flax hair, painted features, and molded painted shoes. A gold tag on the shoe reads “Made in Poland.” Their clothing is sewn on, not to be removed.
Carved Wooden Rabbit Doll
The 8.5 in. rabbit has a carved head and torso. Carved lower “arms” are attached with a wire through the torso. She is set on a stand with a dowel. Her felt skirt under the apron opens in the front and can be used as a container for candy, etc. She is marked, Made in W. Germ. The 3.5 in. rabbit is a miniature of the larger one. I gave her a red cape and a basket.
Lotte Sievers-Hahn Doll
In the village of Brockel in the Hamburg region of Germany is the workshop of Lotte Sievers-Hahn, a wood carver. Originating in 1929, she designed dolls, animals, and nativity scenes that are still carved today by those she trained. Her style featured a minimum number of deft strokes and gouges, working from small lime wood blocks. This 5 in. unmarked 1960’s doll has darning cotton hair, peg-jointed legs, and arms suspended from leather strips. She is shown with my favorite kitty.
Western Clothes Pin Dolls
Clothespin dolls have been made from old fashioned wooden clothespins for a long time. Hand carved clothes pins first appeared in Europe in the late 1800’s. This Western Cowboy couple is very sophisticated. Their hats are actually notched extensions of the wooden pins, with felt brims superimposed to create the hat. They have stickers under their stands reading “Kimport Dolls, from the whole wide world, Independence, MO, No. 178.”
The Pinn Family
This 12 in. couple are the husband and wife of the Pinn Family, circa 1935. They were the last wooden dolls produced by the Schoenhut Doll Co., which began making dolls in 1912. Their original clothes were missing even though they were originally nailed to the body. There were four Pinns: Hattie, Ty, Bobby, and Baby.
