Darling German Bisque Kestner Hilda Character Baby

Dolls : Antique : Bisque, German : Germany : Character : Kestner

 

This 20 inch bisque head baby doll, circa 1914, is simply endearing. She has a bisque head with her original plaster pate and brown mohair wig. She has brown sleep eyes and an open mouth with teeth and tongue. Her five piece composition bent leg baby body is in superb original condition. Even the painting of her fingernails and toenails is still evident. She is dressed in an antique white cotton batiste baby dress that shows off that great body. Her head is properly incised with the number 245. Jan Foulke, in her wonderfully informative book, “Kestner King of Dollmakers,” states that “Certainly the magic name in German character babies is Hilda, a sweet little girl who is a favorite among doll collectors as well as noncollectors, many of whom choose her as their most preferred doll” (149). The bisque on this Hilda is fabulous with artistic painting and early out of the mold modeling. She has no chips, cracks, or repairs. In the past someone has added some tape to the inside of the head where the plaster is holding the eyes in place and around the weight for the eyes. I think this was just a precaution on some past owner’s part. I did not attempt to remove the tape as it is doing no harm and I was afraid I might create a problem by trying to remove it. The eyes sleep nicely but, once it awhile tend to stick slightly as the rocker is old. Every baby doll or German character doll collection should have a Hilda. If you have been waiting to add one to your collection, you are not going to find a lovelier example.

Item ID: LG29189