$1,400
Kestner Bisque Shoulder Head "Gibson Girl" Character Doll, c. 1910, impressed 172. 5 U Made in Germany , modeled with long slender neck and upturned chin, closed mouth with slight enigmatic smile, weighted brown glass eyes, painted lower lashes, single-stroke brows, upswept blonde mohair wig on plaster pate, jointed kid body with shapely bisque lower arms, yellow satin and white net dress, bonnet and white lawn undergarments, ht. 18 1/2 in. Note: Inspired by the work of American illustrator Charles Dana Gibson, born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1867, Kestner's interpretation in doll form captured the spirit of the modern American young woman that the artist brought to public attention in his work Everyday People . In her book America's Great Illustrators , Susan E. Meyer describes Gibson's girl as being "taller than the other women currently seen in the pages of magazines... infinitely more spirited and independent, yet altogether feminine. She was poised and patrician. Though always well bred, there often lurked a flash of mischief in her eyes."
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2008-08-23
