Adorable cabinet size ( 12 ", 31cm ) " Belton "-type child closely resembling the so-called " Circle/Dot " Bru. This example is all original with grey-blue paperweight eyes and nicely painted lashes, long one stroke eyebrows that taper nicely at each end, and wears the original French style factory cream silk pleated dress with low sash and rose brocade on the bodice, lapels, and sleeves, with burgundy ribbed cotton socks, and wonderful brown antique boots which button on each side. She also has a antique silk and lace mop cap of ivory cream silk. The wood and composition straight wrist body is in near mint condition and the bisque is superb. The original mohair wig is of short, wispy blond mohair. A Bru with the same face would cost in excess of $10,000, but this German cousin, from almost the same period, equally as stunning, is offered at a mere.................... US$ 3,900.

19" ( 48cm ) early Kestner of superior quality, featuring closed pouty mouth with full painted lips and white space between them, thick feathered eyebrows and well painted lashes, pale blue glass sleep eyes, and mounted on the original straight wrist wood and composition body with separate ball joints at the elbows and shoulders, with near perfect original finish and patina. She is simply incised "13" on the back of the head and wears the original blond mohair wig over plaster pate. Beautifully attired in an orchid and mauve pleated cotton dress with printed roses and held at the waist by an orchid lavender silk sash with bow and a newer but beautiful high brimmed bonnet which is well coordinated with the dress. The shoes are antique black leather with buckles and the socks are knee length white cotton. A beautiful doll and just as nice as any closed mouth French bebe at less than half the price! US$ 2,650.

17" ( 43cm ) Kestner " Hilda " baby in near pristine, unplayed with condition, with the head incised " J. made in Germany 13 J.D.K. 237 ". Also she has the incised markings " ges. gesch. 1070n " but these are inscribed at angles on either side of the other markings. She has an open mouth with two upper teeth and separate tongue, brown glass sleep eyes, well painted lashes and yellowy feathered brows, and is on her original five piece bent limb body with curved left arm, in mint condition with outlined fingers and toes. She still retains her full blond mohair wig over plaster pate ( has been already removed for easy shipping ), and wears an long white cotton baby dress with lace trim at the collar and sleeves. She has the finest quality bisque and one could not hope to find a Hilda in nicer, cleaner condition. US$ 2,450.

Most unusual early large Kestner child doll, 28 1/2" ( 73cm ) tall, incised " 15 Germany  M " with blue glass sleep eyes, original plaster pate, and a huge heavy wood and composition eight ball joint straight wrist body with fine original finish. One does find dolls often with this face and the closest dolls we can find to resemble this one are in illustrations number 219 and 220 in Jan Foulke's respected book on Kestners entitled " KESTNER King Of Doll Makers ". The only difference is that those dolls only have four square cut upper teeth whereas this doll has six, but the difference is easily accounted for since the dolls photographed in the book are only 16" and 18" respectively , with this one being more than ten inches taller than the larger pictured. There is an uncharacteristically wide opening in the mouth of this doll with the cheeks perhaps drooping ever so slightly. The lashes are well painted and the eyebrows very thick in the middle tapering outward with a fine feathering technique. She wears a beautiful one piece ribbed white linen and cotton dress with high collar and fine lace trim, antique black and white side button leather children's shoes, antique undergarments and socks, and old dark human hair wig, a fancy antique black velvet childrens' bonnet with cloth flowers, and an antique brass brooch with blue enameled flying dove. A truly unique and probably a much underappreciated doll with tons of character, and definitely from the late 19th Century. SOLD.