Bisque shoulder-head doll
Carl Bergner (fl.1860 - 1940)
Category
Dolls
Date
circa 1880
Materials
Bisque shoulder-head doll
Measurements
350 mm (height)
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 670483
Summary
A bisque shoulder-head doll on a stand, whose head revolves to show three different faces - happy, sad and asleep. She has moulded and painted facial features with brown glass eyes and no hair. Her arms and legs are made of wood covered with composition and painted, the tops of her legs and bottom being stuffed cotton. She is jointed at the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee. Her body is a long stiff cylinder of cardboard covered with white linen. Near the waist on her left is a small metal eyelet hole whose purpose is unknown (perhaps was she in some way mechanical). The same stiff cardboard is also used to form a hood over the doll's head, joined to the shoulders. This hides the other two faces when one is facing forwards. A wooden post with a gold-coloured metal ring on top protrudes through the top of her head. This, when turned, changes the doll's expression. She is wearing a white linen dress with a full skirt, long puffed sleeves and a large lace collar. This has a broad bright pink ribbon sash tied at the waist. Underneath she has a waist petticoat made of the same fabric, and drawers, also made from white linen, with broderie anglaise edging. Her bonnet is made from white cotton, edged at the face with lace, with a rosette of the bright pink ribbon on top, tying under the chin with cotton tapes. She has white linen socks and light brown soft leather boots which have red silk thread tied round them. All the clothing is sewn fastened, and is very dirty. The base consists of a white-painted circle of metal which has an upright piece at the back, attached to which is a loop of thick wire painted white at the ends which are bent round the doll to hold her upright.
Marks and inscriptions
Inside a circle on the back of the shoulders: 'C B'
Makers and roles
Carl Bergner (fl.1860 - 1940), maker