Arthur Schoenau & Hoffmeister Porzellanfabrik Burggrub Dolls 1884+ German

Brief History, Arthur Schoenau acquired the toy factory of Bauersachs & Henninger in 1884 located in Sonneberg, Germany. By 1896 Arthur participated in the Leipzig fair showing nanking (cloth body) dolls. 

Arthur was also a founder in the Schoenau & Hoffmeister porcelain factory in 1901, known as Schoenau Hoffmeister Porzellanfabrik Burggrub (SHPB) located in Burggrub, Germany.

By 1907 the two partners were in disagreement as to the type of porcelain heads for their dolls. Hoffmeister insisted on producing shoulder head dolls, while Schoenau wanted to produce socket head dolls. Unable to resolve their differences Carl Hoffmeister left and Arthur Schoenau became the sole owner of both factories.

In 1911 Arthur passed away and his son Hans Schoenau took over as director of the company, next directorship was Arthur’s widow Caroline and son Curt Schoenau. It was son Curt who supplied the sculptor Caesar Schneider with a photo of Princess Elizabeth II of England, that was used to make their famous bisque head Princess Elizabeth doll. This company was still making bisque heads in 1953 and composition heads (Arthur Schoenau doll mark A in a heart symbol SS is on a composition doll head) since the 1930s or so.

Schoenau & Hoffmeister supplied bisque doll heads to the following: Kurt Bruckner, Canzler & Hoffman, Cuno & Otto Dressel, Edmund Edelmann, Gebrüder Eckhardt, Edmund Knoch, Kley & Hahn, Rudolph Leschhorn, Ernst Liebermann, Eg. Mich Ernst Luthardt, Werner Luthardt, Ernst Maar & Sohn, Hans Süssenguth, Friedrich Voight, Hermann VonBerg.

Schoenau & Hoffmeister Dolls Identified

ca. 1905 Schoenau & Hoffmeister Kunstlerkopf Child Doll (art head doll) – 15-16 or 24″ tall, bisque child doll, slender face, wigged, glass eyes, open mouth. doll mark 4000 SHPB star symbol.

ca. 1905 Schoenau & Hoffmeister Oriental doll mold 4900, 9″ tall, bisque head, glass eyes, doll mark 4900 SHPB star symbol OX.

ca. 1906 Schoenau & Hoffmeister Child Dolly Face doll – 14-40″ tall, bisque shoulder head or socket head, jointed composition or kid body, wigged, glass eyes, open mouth. doll mark Germany SHPB 1906.

ca. 1910 Schoenau & Hoffmeister Hanna, character baby doll  – 14″, bisque socket head, composition bent limb jointed body, wigged, glass eyes, painted lashes, painted feathered brows, open smiling mouth with teeth. doll mark SHPB star symbol Hanna.

ca. 1937 Schoenau & Hoffmeister Princess Elizabeth Doll – 14-24″ tall, bisque socket head, jointed composition body, blonde mohair wig, blue sleep eyes, open smiling mouth with upper teeth, doll mark Porzellanfabrik Burggrub Princess Elizabeth Made in Germany.

Arthur Schoenau or Schoenau & Hoffmeister Doll Marks Identified

Note; before 1930 dolls are marked SHPB with a star, after 1930 Porzellanfabrik Burggrub without a star

Note; doll trade names may have been used by both factories. August Steiner of Köppelsdorf also used doll mark AS, usually above the mold number.

Schoenau & Hoffmeister Doll Mold Numbers Identified

70, 165, 169, 170, 241, 500, 769, 900, 914, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1700, 1800, 1900, 1904, 1906, 1909, 1916, 1919 (Carmencita), 1923, 1930, 2500 (Rosebud), 4000, 4100, 4500, 4600, 4700, 4900, 5000, 5100, 5300, 5400 (Viola), 5500, 5600, 5700, 5800.

Schoenau & Hoffmeister Doll Trade Names – also made bisque doll heads for Edmund Edelmann marked SHPB Mona, Melitta or Mine and for Ernst Liebermann a doll named Violet and possibly the Eli doll.