Mask Face Cloth Body Dolls or Animals 1920s+
Mask face dolls or mask faced animals are a type of cloth doll (or animal) with a partial mask front face over 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, stamped or a paper label on the foot and 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.
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.
1950s Mask Face Polish Doll
2015 – YouTube video courtesy of Danica DeCosto
(both plastic mask face dolls are probably by AD Sutton)
Mask Face Dolls & Animals Identified
1928 Martha Lehmann Muschi Eskimo doll, mask face with brat attached googly eyes, black yarn hair, cloth body and limbs, doll unmarked.
1950s Dance With Me doll 38″, mask face with painted facial features, side glancing eyes, blonde yarn hair, red cloth body and limbs, doll unmarked.
1950s Samet & Wells mask face doll 20″, painted facial features, side glancing eyes, black and white checkered cloth body and hat, doll unmarked.
1959 Knickerbocker Jinx cat Huckleberry Hound mask face and plush body doll cartoon character, doll unmarked.
1950s A.D. Sutton mask face cloth doll 15″, painted facial features, blonde yarn braided hair, red and white polka dot dress, red shoes, doll tagged A.D. Sutton, commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
1950s A.D. Sutton Polish mask face doll 16″, blonde hair, painted mask face, Polish dressed, doll mark A.D. Sutton tag.
1950s Gund Honey Lou doll 16″, mask face with painted facial features side glancing eyes, cheek dimples, cloth body, dressed in Military blue uniform and hat.
1950s-1960s American USA black doll mask face, painted facial features, side glancing eyes, mask face sold to make a cloth body doll, unmarked
Mask face dolls or animals were made in many different countries around the world, a some doll manufacturer are; Alexander, Averill, Charles Bloom, Deans Rag Book, Ralph A. Freundlich, Horsman, Ideal, Junel Novelty, Gebruder Junghans Zwickau Puppenfabrik, Knickerbocker, Richard G. Krueger, Martha Lehmann Muschi dolls, Molly-es, Charles Reese, Rushton, Samet & Wells Company, Silk Novelty Corp., A. D. Sutton & Sons importers, Celluloid Toy Factory Adam Szrajer of Kalisz, Poland and P. R. Zast of Poland plus others and Norah Wellings. Many Mask Face dolls are marked Made in Poland.
