Antique Shoulderhead Doll Germany Minerva 2 Like China Head

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I purchased some very old antique China Head dolls from a recently dispersed estate. The grandmother was an avid doll collector and she had hand made almost all of their clothes. This lovely pair I believe to be both Minerva dolls, however the little girl is not marked.The mama's dress is very stiff and all handmade. Her slip is even stiffer and in very good condition. These dolls have been boxed for many many years. The baby girl has a finished slip and pantaloons, but needs a cute dress. I did a little research and this is what I found: "There was a doll that came pre-named. It was Minerva, and her name was stamped into her chest. Minerva was a tin or metal head doll. They were manufactured from about 1894 through 1925 and were intended for the more disadvantaged children whose parents couldn’t afford the beautiful porcelain dolls of the day. And not only were they cheaper, they were practically indestructible! Their heads were molded from a sheet of tin or metal and were mostly sold without a body attached and were sold with painted hair and either painted or glass eyes as a rule, but some had mohair wigs over their molded hair. It was up to the moms to make the body and dress them. Occasionally they are found with kid leather bodies, but many had cloth bodies. I understand that there were many illustrations found of these dolls read more

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