JDK Kestner Dolls 1820-1938 German

Referred to as Kestner King of Doll Makers - Johann Daniel Kestner Jr. (JDK) of Waltershausen, Thuringia, Germany began making papier mache and wood dolls and toys as early as 1820.  Kestner eventually went on to employ nearly 3/4 of the inhabitants of the Waltershausen region which earned him the nickname "King Kestner".  In 1858 J.D. Kestner passed away and his grandson Adolf eventually took over the running of the company, by 1860 they acquired the Ohrdug porcelain factory and began to produce the bisque dolls known by collectors today.  Kestner leather kid bodies may have a green label Marvel or Par Excellence along with the Kestner crown and streamer label, both brands were distributed by Butler Brothers, as were other Kestner dolls.  Unique to Kestner are their doll head plaster like pates.

Some trade names for Kestner dolls are: Baby Jean, Dainty Dorothy, Sally, Sammy (JDK + size number), Daisy doll mold 171 only the 18" size, Hilda doll molds 237, 245, 1070, Max, Moritz, the all bisque Prize Baby doll mold 208, Siegfried doll mold 272.    

Here are some JDK - Kestner dolls we have found:

JDK size 4 - A bisque socket head, closed mouth, glass eyes, feathered painted eyebrows, ball jointed composition body, wigged.  Doll shown is 12 1/2", marked Made in Germany 4.  Similar dolls can be marked with a letter or head size number.	JDK doll mold 161 - Unique Dolly face, bisque socket head, glass eyes, painted feathered or fur eyebrows, open mouth, chubby cheeks, ball jointed composition body. Doll shown is 23" tall, marked Made in Germany JDK 161.
JDK doll mold 214 - Unique Dolly face doll, 10-42"  tall, bisque socket head with plaster dome, feathered eyebrows, glass eyes, open mouth, wigged on a ball jointed wood & composition jointed body.  Doll mold 214 shown, is 32" tall.	JDK doll mold 215 - Unique Dolly face doll, 10-42"  tall, bisque socket head with plaster dome, feathered eyebrows, glass eyes, open mouth, wigged on a ball jointed wood & composition jointed body.  Doll mold 215 shown, is 22" tall.
JDK doll mold 237, 245, 1070 - Hilda, character toddler doll, 10-30" tall, bisque socket head, composition body, molded or wigged hair, glass eyes, open mouth with teeth.  Doll mold 245 shown, is Hilda.   Photo courtesy of flozdolz.	JDK doll mold 249 - Dolly face, unique character doll, 10-42" tall, bisque socket head with plaster dome, feathered painted or fur brows, glass eyes, open mouth, ball jointed composition body, wigged. Doll mold 249 shown, is 20" tall, doll mark Made in Germany JDK 249.
JDK doll mold 255 - Character baby, 10-16" tall, bisque head with flange neck, cloth body, solid dome with painted hair, glass eyes.  Doll mold 255 shown, is 16" tall with open crying mouth, doll marked 255 O.I.C.  or marked Siegfried 272.	JDK doll mold 260 - Character child doll, 8-42" tall, bisque socket head with plaster pate, glass or painted eyes, open or closed mouth, jointed composition body, wigged. Doll mold 260 shown, is 18" tall with glass eyes and open mouth.

JDK - Kestner Doll Marks or Markings

As you can guess from the length of their history, Kestner used many different doll markings; a letter only, a size number only, Kestner, initials of J.D.K., K & Co., Made in Germany, a mold number, symbol of a crown with JDK or JD Kestner on the crown rim or on ribbons trailing beneath, Excelsior (trade name for USA distributed dolls), or any combination.

Kestner Doll Mark - Bisque Socket Head Size Circumference in Inches

Note: There are also marks; D 1/2 Made in Germany 8 1/2 = 9 3/4", adding a 1/4" should be the approximate head size circumference.

Kestner Doll Mark - Bisque Shoulder Head Size Circumference in Inches

 The alphabet letter + Made in Germany + number is located on the lower back edge of the plate and run slightly larger than noted above. 

Note: Other German doll makers may have used these same letters or mold numbers, too. 

Kestner dolls should also have a red ink kid body stamp, but these sometimes are faint or may have rubbed off.

Additional JDK - Kestner Doll Mold Numbers

Kestner began using mold numbers in 1892, dolls prior were marked with the size number or a letter only.

Note: other doll makers may have used some of these mold numbers, use our search box to find them, too.

Gibson Girl is doll mold 172 , doll mold 195 has fur eyebrows patented in 1910.

JDK Kestner Dolls 1820-1938 German

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