China Head Dolls 1840-1940

China Head Dolls 1840-1940

1860-1970's Mary Lincoln Todd china head China head dolls were made by various companies from 1840 to 1940. The vast majority of China dolls were made in Germany. China head dolls are usually found on a wood, cloth or a kid body and some with partial china limbs. May have molded hair or wigged over a solid bald dome head. China head dolls range in size from a tiny 3" to a big and heavy 40" tall.

Most China head dolls are unmarked, some have a mold number on the back of the neck or shoulder plate, thus it can be impossible to pinpoint the doll maker, so most dolls are described and identified by the hairstyle. As hairstyles changed over the long history of China head dolls, dolls changed too which gives a clue to their dating.

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's China Head Doll Child

Kinderkoff head

Can be a female or male child shoulder head.

1840's China Head Doll K.P.M.

KPM is the company name not a hairstyle, very rare blanc de chine male shoulder head doll.

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.

1860-1870'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, names are: Agnes, Bertha, Daisy, Dorothy, Edith, Ethel, Esther, Florence, Helen, Mabel, Marion, Pauline and Ruth.

1900's China Head Doll

Japan - china heads

Various hairstyles.

1900's China Head Doll

Bonnet heads

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

1905's China Head Doll

Low Brow shoulder heads with jewel neck.

Additional China Head dolls

without photos;

1920-1930 China Head Doll,

Low Brows head

1940's China Head Dolls

Some companies that made European china head dolls;

All German:	Alt, Beck & Gottschalk, ABG	Bahr & Proschild	Bohn Ernst
Conta & Boehme - shield mark	Dressel, Kister & Co. - usually heads or half dolls	William Goebel	Hertwig & Co.
Kestner & Co.	Kister, August Wilhelm Friedolin A. W. Fr. Inc. - doll mark KPM	C. F. Kling & Co.	KPM Berlin, Meissen
Kloster Veilsdorf Greiner type china's	Orven, Knabe & Co. - O.K. initials	F. Pfeffer	Theodor Pohl
Pollack & Hoffman	A. H. Pröschold	Reideler & Wallendorf	- - - - -
Royal Copenhagen Denmark	Jacob Petit French	Huret and Rohmer French	Rorstrand Sweden

The KPM factories are the oldest and most desirable of China head dolls.

The Thuringia area in Germany had many other porcelain factories that produced China head dolls as well.

This entire page was only made possible by the China doll head experts and collectors;

Dturnersan, Wildrose55, Barb, Tapestries and others who lent their expertise and photos.

A huge Thanks to everyone for their contributions and help with this page.

see also; China Head Dolls: 101 - Antique vs. reproduction dolls

China Head Dolls 1840-1940

Items pictured here are for reference only - not for sale

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