Antique Chinese Royal Opera Merchant Doll Green Silk

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Antique Chinese Royal Opera Merchant Doll Green Silk

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Sold Date: 05/04/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

Antique Chinese Royal Opera Merchant Doll Green Silk
Puppet Green Silk Costume Paper Mache
The Royal Opera doll is equipped with an impressively decorated silk robe, (detachable) head, wire and paper mache hands, wooden feet, hinged waist and appendages, beautifully expressive face,wooden feet in cloth and is in good condition for its age. The doll seems to be missing part of its wire fingers and the paper mache that goes around the wire on a few fingers. T are chips on the face and under the hat area. Soiling on face. Its intricate face as well as clothing have some wear. I believe this doll to be from around the late 1800's, dolls such as these were often given to children by their parents or grandparents and were passed on from generation to generation.The facial features are generally delicately painted with fine brush strokes.The painted head is covered by a hat with intricate work. This doll is dressed in a hand embroidered green silk robe with sequins, red and gold thread and a fur muff in the front. The long fingers look as if they are made from painted rolled paper. I believe the head to be made of composition.The composition looks like a dense gray clay which is molded over a metal rod. The head is painted with flesh colored base coat so the composition material doesn't show at all except if and w the outer coating is chipped. These dolls may have gotten the nickname "opera doll" because many were sold as souvenirs from performances of The Chinese Opera Royal or Merchant Dolls ("Opera Dolls ").This doll or puppet has a brightly colored, embroidered silk outfit with many sequin and floral cloth underneath the clothes. Many were converted into rod puppets, which I believe this one is because t are indications shared by the dolls such as the slit and dowel hole in the back so the doll can be lifted from a stand as well as movable parts and metal loops on appendages ect. w the doll could be made into a puppet. An exceptional collectors item!
Be sure to check out the other puppets that I am currently running on ebay! T are more close-up pictures in the slide show on this puppet.
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Be sure to check out other Oriental antiques that I am currently running on ebay!
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