Walnut Head Dolls

Wooden DollThese 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

Wooden DollThis 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.

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.Wooden Doll

Carved Wooden Rabbit Doll

Wooden DollThe 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

Wooden DollIn 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

Wooden DollClothespin 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

Wooden Doll
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.

Queen Anne Doll

Wooden DollSome of the first dolls to reach America were wooden English Queen Anne dolls. Any that still exist are extremely valuable. I tried making my own using a plastic egg for the head, on a fully jointed Barbie type body. Before painting the face I glued a small pointed nose. An 1830’s style pattern provided her dress and bonnet.