What collector of antique dolls could resist a fine parian lady, though in desperate need of restoration, when offered on the spur of the moment? Needless to say, I didn’t resist!
Porcelain dolls in the form of glazed china made their debut in the 1840’s and were manufatured primarily in Germany. They experienced innovations and alterations through the decades of their manufacture. By the 1870’s, there was growing dissatisfaction with the unlife-like look of glazed porcelain for doll shoulder-heads. Beginning in the 1870’s and through the 1880’s, fine lady dolls, and sometimes children, made of unglazed porcelain with molded hair became available. These dolls were made of white untinted bisque and usually had blonde hair. Still made primarily from German porcelain factories, these dolls were called parians because their marble-white complexions resemble the white marble that comes from the island of Paros. So they are not from Paris! The dolls often have molded-on hair and neck trimmings. The manufacture of parian dolls waned with the onset of flesh tinted bisque dolls and the growing popularity of French and German baby and child dolls.
The doll that I received had been in a garage for many years, stored in a box with newer vinyl dolls. It is quite delightful that she retains her original clothing, including her chemise, which is hiked up around her waist in this photo. There are irrepareable stains on her clothing and body.
As is typical with dolls this age, her original body is stained, and the old soft leather is deteriorating badly.
The back of the doll really shows how badly the arm leather is cracked. The horse hair stuffing is visible. The boots are losing pieces. Cotton holds up well with time, and the cotton body, as well as the porcelain shoulder-head, are in fine condition.
As I have found with other dolls that had been stored with their original clothing, this doll had some extra pieces. She was wearing two sets of drawers, one that was too small and had to be gently tugged off. She had two petticoats under her skirt, and one more petticoat that doesn’t seem to belong to her.
I soaked the clothing in cool water with one teaspoon of Orvus quilt soap for three hours. As is typical with clothing that has been stored for many years, the water turned quite brown! The clothing was rinsed twice in cool water and let to air dry.
Meanwhile, I cleaned the doll’s face by holding her nearly upside down under running water so that the body didn’t get wet. I used a soft toothbrush with mild dish soap to clean away dirt that was embedded in her curls. (Judging by this photo, she could use more cleaning under her left curls.) The earrings are full-sized for pierced ears. The garnets will match her rose print cotton dress nicely.
I found a doll with a similar face and hair mold in Lydia Richter’s book, China, Parian & Bisque German Dolls. The doll in the book photo has a molded collar and neck ribbon, while my doll has plain shoulder molding. Both dolls have pierced ears. The book says that this doll is “Unkown Manufacturer, ” circa 1885. I believe that they were made by Alt, Beck & Gottschalk based on the lip and eye painting.
The bodice originally had five printed china buttons that were contemporary with the age of the doll and her costume of floral printed cotton. Two of the original buttons are missing. I found in my stash a card of five china buttons from the same time period with a color that coordinates with the dress fabric.
The doll’s leather boots were sewn over the cloth body. The leather is badly deteriorating and falling off. One boot retains the two tiny china buttons while the other boot has none. I used a small amount of white glue on the leather edges of the boots to attempt to hold the fragments onto the body.
The doll’s arms are now wrapped in non-adhesive elastic medical tape which holds the leather intact and re-attaches the severed left hand. She is also wearing her freshly laundered original drawers and chemise.
I put both original petticoats back on the doll. The outer petticoat includes hand crocheted lace, while the drawers have eyelet trim.
The new old buttons are attached and button down the back of the bodice. Or should this be the front? It is not quite clear which side is which. Both the front and the back include verticle tucks. The non-buttoning side of the bodice includes princess seams on the sides, and the collar and cuffs are red woven lace. The dark stain on the bodice waistband is faded, but still visible. I turned her skirt around with the opening in the front because the skirt fabric is less yellowed on the backside and retains its truer original color.
Standing tall at 25 inches, This ABG parian doll shows definite wear. However, she is all original in her original small clothes and dress. That is important to me. I am okay with the wear and I believe that she deserves to keep her belongings of 140 years. How silly she would look in the clothing of a 50 year old doll, and not quite as good in a newly made dress. She now looks elegant and proud. I am so happy that she is here!
I now have two parian, or unglazed white bisque, dolls. The smaller doll on the left is 19 inches tall. She has a molded blouse collar, and her ears are not pierced. She may have been made by Conta & Boehme. She was re-dressed in a new dress made especially for her.
Parian dolls can be very fancy with lots of molded trim and hair ribbons, or they can be plainer and simply elegant. Either way, they are a delightful variation to glazed china dolls.
quintessential antique dolls 
I believe you have the dress on backwards, due to the collar shape, buttons down the front, thanks.
Thank you for noticing details in the photos of this post. If you look at the second photo, you will see the deep brown stain on the front of the bodice as it appears on the doll before I removed the clothing. The text beneath the photo of the bodice with buttons explains that I chose to put the bodice on the doll with the buttons in the back to diminish the impact of the very visible stain. It presents for display better this way.