Bisque Dolls: The Makers of Bisque Dolls - 1Earth Antiques and Appraisals Magazine

From childhood playthings to coveted collectibles

For more than 150 years, bisque dolls have been dressed in finery, sitting down to tea with their friends and loved ones. Now highly collectible, bisque dolls were originally purchased as toys — some for as little as 10 cents.

Often, children were only allowed to play with their bisque dolls for an hour or so on Sundays, or perhaps at Christmas with the gift of a new outfit.

THE MAKERS
The most popular of all antique dolls, bisque dolls originated in France circa 1840. Better known French companies include Jumeau, Steiner, and Bru. German companies such as Kammer & Reinhardt, Kestner, and Simon & Halbig began manufacturing bisque dolls around 1890. The American pottery maker Fulper made some bisque dolls, hiring college students to paint the faces.

Pretty Fulpers do exist, but generally they're not as valuable. Today the most widely collected dolls date from 1862 to 1920, the year when the most desirable dolls ended production. No one knows how many were made.

"Character" dolls like this sell
for more than typical dolls.

Bisque is simply unglazed porcelain, thus lacking the shiny glaze of a china doll. Doll sizes range from 2 to 42 inches, with most in the 8 to 28-inch range. The faces of bisque dolls are handpainted (before firing), enhancing their individuality. Maker and rarity contribute to value. With certain dolls there are only four or five known. Most collectors develop a collecting pattern or category; one of every company, or all of one company, or only female dolls in fancy clothing.