Cloth Mask Face Dolls 1920s+

Cloth doll with a hard plastic mask face front and a surprised look

Mask face dolls or mask faced animals are a type of cloth doll (or animal) with a partial mask face front in a rigid material like; celluloid, composition or hard plastic, attached to the front of the cloth head, all with painted facial features and a cloth stuffed body.

Mask face dolls or plush animals may be marked with a cloth label sewn into a body seam but many items are unmarked, which is why they often cannot be identified with certainty, so collectors use the term "mask face" to identify them as this "type" of doll.

Polish Mask Face girls 14" tall, labeled; Made in Poland, often found dressed in Regional costumes, such as the two Polish girls shown above

Mask face animals usually have a one piece body in a colorful cloth fabric or plush fur with non-jointed stem like limbs.

Mask faced dolls often have a stationary socket head, some with a fringe of yarn hair framing the face, on a cloth body with stitched shoulders and hips for movement.

Mask face dolls or mask face animals were made in many different countries around the world, a few doll manufacturer names that come to mind are; Alexander, Averill, Charles Bloom, Deans Rag Book, Ralph Freundlich, Horsman, Ideal, Junel Novelty, Knickerbocker, Richard G. Krueger, Molly-es, Charles Reese, Rushton, Zast of Poland, Norah Wellings, plus others.