Another sweet find, a belle femme, a pretty la poupee boudoir or sofa doll with side glancing eyes, a real 1920s era flapper is this little orphan lady. These dolls are what ladies kept as decoration on their bed, chair etc.

She’s really quite small & slender, lightweight, measuring only about 57cm/22.5  in length.

 

 

 

A sweet face with soft blush, intact lip paint & lovely blue eyes with large eyelashes & brow detail. Her face is made of plaster or composition, the fragile plaster-like material prone to cracking & chipping as you see in her pert little nose, not uncommon in these old dolls. I first spoke about old composition dolls here including some from my small collection.

 

 

It’s her alluring eyes glancing right, the age related blemishes, the evidence of pre-love, her past life, that add so much to her character. They are all part of this little lady’s life story. Her chippy nose will stay just as it is. Just as I found her.

 

 

 

I’m sure you guessed what that black hole thingy was for, the one there at the side of her lip, her mouth? Yes, the little lady is a smoking flapper doll missing her cigar or cigarette which fitted in that little hole. I’ll browse on line for a vintage cigarette perhaps even one with a holder.

I simply cut to size a thick wooden skewer for a temporary ciggy. If I cant find a suitable cigarette I’ll make one. 

 

 

 

 

 

What about her hair? What she has is remnants of blonde hair. Could be mohair. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if a doll had any hair, or a full head of hair, or if a hat was supposed to cover the area so some or no hair showed or was needed.  The little lady’s hat easily pulls/slips on & off & there are no signs it was glued on. In looking at her head & the outline of hair remnants, it looks like she had a full head of blonde hair, a blonde wig which was glued on. Of course I will look to replace that.

 

 

 

 

 

She came just as you see her without clothes. While her black velvet fabric body & limbs are in good shape she is a little shabby revealing some wear and tear. I need to pick off the fluff, give her a good brush & make a few stitching repairs to a hole in her right hand, at her shoulder joint & her feet. Basically her sewn cloth body is a little unkempt, fragile, with small tears & all easily repairable.

And her shoes need a little TLC perhaps even re-making from scratch.

She is stuffed with a light weight, vintage sort of greyish coloured felt cotton or kapok.

Her head has been inserted into the torso & hand stitched into place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see her feet, her high heel shoes, are somewhat tattered & need repair. As I mentioned, I may replace/de-do them.

 

 

 

Her soft scultured hands.

Of course I’ll re-dress her, sew a suitable dress, bloomers or pajama suit if I can’t find anything suitable ready made.

And here’s a few examples of smoking flapper dolls:-