Book Description

This important book from the author of three previous books on antique German dolls, features ground-breaking new research on the parian dolls produced by eight factories in Germany during the late 19th century. In preparing this book, the author travelled to the sites of the factories in Thuringia to dig for important artefacts; her labours uncovered over 1,000 porcelain shards that show the distinctive facial painting used by each factory highlighted in the book. These discoveries, combined with her collection of original porcelain factory ledgers and sample books, allow her to attribute with certainty the makers of these beautiful dolls, especially those produced during the 1860s and 1870s and previously designated as being by "unknown makers". Mary Krombholz also makes use of rare written records describing daily life inside a 19th-century porcelain factory to clearly delineate the significant role played by each worker in doll production. Her narrative clarifies not only the process of making porcelain dolls in the 19th century, but also presents a vivid picture of life in the Thuringian villages in which these factories were located. Over 350 colour photographs, all close views detailing the painting and decoration of these pieces, accompany the invaluable text, making this the most significant volume on German parian dolls to be published.