1920s Half Doll Powder Puff - Unmarked Glazed Bisque Half Doll with Pink Dress & Red Roses, Silk Dress with Swansdown Feather Powder Puff A most charming example of an unmarked Half Doll, possibly German in origin with a pretty pink silk dress in a full skirt with a trim of original 1920s swansdown feathers forming a powder puff The doll stands 2 1/2 inches tall & the puff is 4 inches wide. She is in beautiful antique condition with no marks or blemishes. To find a doll of this quality in this fine condition is rare. Quite beautiful Half Dolls are just thatgenerally, the upper half of a human figure, without legs. Half dolls were produced without legs so that they could be attached to something usefulvery commonly, pin cushions, but also whisk brooms, tea cozies, & numerous things that could grace a ladies dressing table, such as powder boxes. Years of Production The vast majority of Half Dolls were produced between 1900 & the 1920s, although some were produced earlier than that & some later. Some half dolls are still reproduced today. Companies That Produced Half Dolls Most half dolls were produced in Germany, by firms such as Dressel & Kister, F. W. Goebel, Ernst, Bohne & Sohne, Heubach, Hertwig, Karl Schnider & many others. Japan also flooded the market with inexpensive models. Sizes of Half Dolls Most half dolls are between 2 & 6 inches tall, although there are smaller & also a few larger examples. Materials & Characteristics of Half Dolls Half dolls are generally made of porcelain (glazed bisque, sometimes called china) although there are also models made in unglazed bisque. Half dolls have also been made out of composition, wax, & many other materials. Marks on Half Dolls Half dolls are often found unmarked, marked Foreign, Germany or Made in Germany, or with a four or five digit mould number. Models from Japan can be marked Japan or Made in Japan. Only a few companies such as Dressel & Kister & Goebel would sometimes mark half dolls with their company’s distinctive mark. How to Identify Desirable Half Dolls There are so many thousands of styles of half dolls made, & so few good reference books available, that many doll collectors throw up their hands in frustration & feel that half dolls & their values are nearly impossible to decipher. That is not truewith a keen eye, & a few basic facts about half dolls & half doll pricing, any collector can start to understand the fascinating area of half doll collecting. The complexity of the mould used to make the half doll is very important. The more complex the mould used, generally, the more valuable the half doll. Simple half dolls with arms close to the torso (no separation of arms from the torso, made with 2 mould pieces) are generally the least expensive. Next are half dolls with open & returning arms, which show some separation between the arms & the torso. The most desirable have arms away, which have arms modelled completely away from the body of the half doll, & which generally
