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Porcelain Collector

Papier mâché, carton moulé, carton pâte or holz-masse are all terms describing a type of composition material made from paper sheets or paper pulp mixed with paste, oil, resin or other material to form a strong material that was pressed together. 

Earliest papier mache dolls were individually handmade, by the mid 1800s pressure mold processes made it possible for dolls to be mass produced.  

J. Adler & Co dolls 1850-1890 USA - papier mache / composition shoulder head dolls, painted eyes, single stroke eyebrows, closed mouth, cloth body, leather hands.  Identifying paper label doll mark on back shoulder J. Adler & Co., Superior, American Head No. 7

J. Adler & Co, Papier Mache Doll 19"

French Papier Mache Dolls 1835-1850+ - shoulder head, kid body, wooden limbs, painted black pate with painted hair curls around face, glass almond shaped eyes or painted eyes, open mouth with bamboo teeth or closed mouth, dolls are unmarked.

Some papier mache doll heads were made by German doll makers; Johann Müller, Andréas Voit and perhaps others, then assembled and dressed by French doll makers.

French Papier Mache Doll 12"

Ludwig Greiner dolls 1840-1900 US - Papier mache shoulder head doll, molded and painted wavy black hair, high forehead, painted eyes or glass eyes, upper eye lashes and single stroke eyebrows, closed mouth, somber facial expression, cloth body with kid arms dolls.  Doll had an identifying paper label with; Greiner's Improved Patent Heads Pat. March 30th '58. or '72. as shown below.

Ludwig Greiner glass eyed papier mache shoulder head doll 18 1/2"

Milliner's Model doll with molded hair, papier mache dolls 1820s-1860s - shoulder head with an oval face, painted eyes, stuffed kid body, wooden limbs, painted molded hair style, closed mouth, painted flat feet, dolls are unmarked, various doll makers.

Milliner's Model Papier Mache Doll 15"

Later Papier Mache Dolls 1863+ - shoulder head, cloth body, leather hands, molded painted blonde or black wavy hair like a China head doll, round face, painted eyes, closed mouth, dolls are unmarked or marked G. L. Superior 2015 or M & S Superior 2015 or 4515.

G. L. Superior = Georg Lutz 1887+ German

M & S Superior = Müller & Strassburger 1863-1892 German

Muller & Strassburger, Papier Mache doll  mold M & S Superior 2015, 29"

1920s doll mark

inside a circle AF & C with sunburst

Patent Washable Dolls 1880-1915 - a doll name for a type of composition shoulder head doll made by various doll makers, presumably in Germany.

Patent Washable dolls are unmarked, have composition shoulder heads, cloth bodies and limbs, composition lower arms and legs, some with molded boots, mohair or skin wig, bulging glass eyes, open mouth some with teeth or closed mouth.

Patent Washable papier mache doll 18"