Antique China head dolls 1836-1940s

Antique China head dolls were made mostly by German companies from 1836 to the 1940s. Glazed porcelain China head dolls (unglazed porcelain dolls are referred to as Parian dolls) are usually found on a cloth, kid or wood adult body with some dolls having partial China limbs as well. Most China dolls found, have molded painted hair, but some have a wig over a solid bald dome head. China head dolls range in size from a tiny 3 inches to a big and very heavy 40 inches tall.

China head dolls are usually unmarked, some may have a mold number or doll makers mark on the back of the neck or on the shoulder plate, thus it can be impossible to pinpoint the doll maker, so dolls are described and identified by the type of hairstyle. As hairstyles changed over the long history of China head doll making, dolls changed too, this is a clue to dating the dolls.

Shown above is a China head doll hairstyle known as

Countess Dagmar ca. 1860s, photo courtesy of Kathy Turner

related China Head Dolls - Antique dolls versus Reproduction dolls

So how well do you know your Hairstyles?

1840's China Head Doll Bun Damenkoph,

Lady head, Young Queen Victoria

Hairstyle is in a bun, braid or hair rolled at the back of the neck.

1840'sChina Head Child doll Kinderkoff head

Can be a female or male child shoulder head China doll.

1840's China Head Doll KPM

KPM, Königliche Porzellan Manufactur Meissen, King's Porcelain Factory, is the company name not a hairstyle, very rare blanc de chine male shoulder head.

1840's China Head Doll

Lydia head

(shown on left)

Hairstyle parted in the center, smooth on top, ringlet type long curls on sides. The photo on the right is of a Sophia or Lydia head - in other words it's close to both hairstyles.

1840's China Head Doll

Queen Victoria head, exposed ears

If you look at many of the photo's here, you will not see ears beneath the hair, but this one shows the ears and was made by TPM the Carl Tiesch Company of Poland 1840's.

1840's China Head Doll

Sophia Smith head

Hairstyle with straight sausage curl hair.

1850's China Head Doll

Biedermier or bald head

Solid dome bald shaped head with a wig over the head.

1850's China Head Doll

Covered wagon head

Hairstyle with a center part, flat on top with curls around the head.

1850's China Head Doll

Greiner style head

Hairstyle with a middle part, wavy on the sides with comb marks, high forehead.

1860's China Head Doll

Alice in Wonderland head

Hairstyle with molded headband on a Motschmann type body.

1860's China Head Doll

Countess Dagmar head

Various elaborate hairstyles some with pierced ears.

1860's China Head Doll

High Brow head

Hairstyle with center part, flat top, curls around head, round face with high forehead.

1860's China Head Doll

Jenny Lind head

Hairstyle parted in the middle and pulled back into a bun with a high forehead

1860's China Head Doll

Morning Glory head

Hairstyle with hair pulled back, wavy on sides with molded flowers at the neck.

1860-70's China Head Doll Mary Todd Lincoln head

Hairstyle is pulled back and held in place with a snood.

1860's China Head Doll

Waterfall head

Hairstyle, you better just take a look at the photo to understand the description for yourself.

1860-1870's China Head Doll, Flat top, High brow or Civil War head

Hairstyle parted in the middle with short curls, high forehead and flat top head.

1870's China Head Doll

Adelina Patti head

Hairstyle with a center part, rolled hair with elaborate curls.

1870's China Head Doll

Curly Top head

Hairstyle has ringlet curls over entire head

1870's China Head Doll

Dolly Madison head

Hairstyle with curls all over the head with molded ribbon

1870's China Head Doll

Spill Curl head

Hairstyle of curls on forehead and spilling down the back of the neck

1870's China Head Doll

Currier & Ives head

Hairstyle with bangs, some have hair details like a headband shown on this Parian head of untinted bisque.

1880's China Head Doll

Highland Mary head

Hairstyle with bangs and curls at sides.

1890's China Head Doll

Low Brow head

Hairstyle is common for this era with all over curls could be blonde or black hair.

1895's China Head Doll

Pet Name head by Hertwig

Doll name is printed in gold on front of shoulder plate, shown is Marion

1900's China Head Doll

Japan - China heads

China head dolls made in Japan had various hairstyles.

1900's China Head Doll

Bonnet heads

Like the name implies dolls are wearing a molded bonnet over their molded hair.

1905's China Head Doll
Low Brow shoulder heads with jewel neck.

Additional China Head dolls not shown

1920-1930s China Head Doll,

Low Brows head,

some made in Japan

1940s China Head Dolls

Some China Doll Head Doll Makers and Marks

Alt, Beck & Gottschalck, ABG doll marks, German

** Au Paradis Des Enfants
Mon. Rémond, 156 Rué de Rivoli 156 doll label French
(more information below)

Bahr & Proschild doll mark BP with crossed swords, German

Bawo & Dotter doll mark B & D, Pat. Dec. 7/80 French, German, USA

Ernst Bohne doll mark anchor symbol EB, German

- various doll marks of letters & numbers, made by various makers George Borgfeldt, importer USA

Our Pet China head dolls;

Agnes, Bertha, Daisy, Dorothy, Edith, Ethel, Florence, Helen, Mabel, Marion doll mark Patent Appd For Germany

Butler Brothers, importer

made by Closter V. or Hertwig USA

Closter (Kloster) Veilsdorf doll mark Greiner type China's German

Conta & Boehme doll marks V37, IX36, arm on a shield German

D'Autremont Paris doll mark label 6 Rue De Dauphin 6 French

Dressel, Kister & Co., DKP

- usually heads or half dolls
doll mark a staff symbol DKP
German

William Goebel doll mark crown symbol WILHELMS - FELD
German

Philip Goldsmith doll mark Pat. Dec. 15, 1885

USA

Gräfenthal Porzellanfabrik or Unger, Schneider & Hutschenreuther doll mark G with two arrows

German

Fr. Haas & Co doll mark Fr. H & Co Patent (distributor) for Fischer, Naumann & Co., in England
also sold in France, Germany, Vienna

Hertwig & Company doll mark house symbol H cat symbol

German

Heubach, Kampfe & Sontag or
Wallendorf Porzellanfabrik
doll mark W, crossed swords, German

Maison Huret doll mark label

French

Kestner & Company doll mark K & CO
German

Kling & Company doll mark bell symbol K
German

August Wilhelm

Friedolin Kister, KPM X

or A. W. Fr. Kister doll mark

Schwarzburg, Rudolstadt, German

Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur KPM Berlin, doll marks German

Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur
KPM Meissen, doll marks KPM, two crossed swords German

Nanking dolls - China head dolls on nanking cotton bodies - exact marks may vary, unknown

Morimura Brothers

USA

Nymphenburg Porzellanfabrik doll mark, Munich, Bavaria

Orben, Knabe & Company

doll mark O.K.
German

Jacob Petit doll mark JP PAR BREVET, French

Fritz Pfeffer doll mark FP intertwined with F backward, FPG

Austria, Gotha, German

Theodor Pohl doll mark TP 2210 Bohemia

Louis Léon Prieur 1840-21+

1921+ Israël & Prieur,

1928 L. Salomon, heads by Françoise Gaultier & Carl Heinze
Germany or French

Rauenstein Porzellanfabrik china head doll mark R asterisk symbol
German

Madame Rohmer doll mark label

French

doll mark Three crowns, MX, Sweden in red ink

Rörstrand

Sweden

Royal Copenhagen doll mark three horizontal wavy lines or three vertical straight lines
Denmark

Schlaggenwald Porzellanfabrik doll mark S 59, IS 60, owners Lippert, Haas, Cžjžek, Schlaggenwald, Bohemia

French Sèrves China socket head dolls were made during 1916-1917, found marked Madame Royal ca. 1917 other doll names are; Louise Brongn, Junon, La Bèrgère de Trianon, Marquisette, Saint François.

Samson Smith doll mark SS intertwined LTD

England UK

Strasburger, Pfeiffer doll mark triangle paper label

German & USA

Charles Edward Turnbull

C.E. Turnbull, importer & distributor England UK

Woodford doll mark label; From Woodford & Merrill's, Fancy Store, 309 Washington Street, Boston

China Head Doll Marks Unknown

China bonnet head doll mark Gota - unknown

China head doll marks 10 ch/ge or YH intertwined - unknown

China head doll mark IHO - unknown

The Meissen KPM factories are the oldest and most desirable of China head dolls. The Thüringia area in Germany had many other small porcelain factories that produced China head dolls as well. During and after World War I, China dolls were also made in Japan.

** Au Paradis des Enfants dolls 1864-1925 France, was a distributor and assembler of dolls from various

doll makers including China head dolls with pink kid bodies and wax over China head dolls.

related; China Head Dolls, Antique dolls versus Reproduction dolls and how to tell the difference

This entire page was made possible by the China doll expert and collector

Kathy Turner, who lent her expertise and photos

A huge Thanks to everyone who contributed and helped with this page

For Sale | Forum | Glossary | Marks | Values

All trademarks are respective of their owners with no affiliation to this site
Doll Reference © Copyright 2004 - 2022 all rights reserved including photos & content