German Bisque Head Child Doll ‘171’, by J D Kestner

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On offer is a highly collectible German bisque head child doll manufactured by J.D. Kestner. This doll features a finely … Read more On offer is a highly collectible German bisque head child doll manufactured by J.D. Kestner. This doll features a finely painted bisque porcelain socket head with molded details. She has weighted glass sleep eyes, which tilt backward when laid flat, painted upper and lower eyelashes, feathered eyebrows, blushed cheeks and an open mouth showcasing tiny upper porcelain teeth. She sports a blonde wig styled into classic long, braided pigtails with flipped ends.
While hidden beneath her dress, Kestner dolls of this style typically sit on fully articulated ball-jointed composition bodies. She is elegantly dressed in a vintage/antique white or cream-colored eyelet drop-waist dress, a purple silk ribbon sash, a straw bonnet decorated with fabric flowers, and matching strapped shoes over knit socks.
Known historically as the "King of Doll Makers," J.D. Kestner operated out of Waltershausen, Thuringia, Germany. The company was celebrated for producing exceptionally high-quality bisque heads and making their own matching composition bodies.
The incised markings on the back of the head clearly read "Germany" and "171". The 171 is the specific mold number (or model number). This mold series was introduced in the late 1890s, confirming this doll’s date from approximately 1897 to the early 1910s.
The doll was stamped "Germany" instead of "Deutschland" to comply with international trade laws, specifically the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 passed by the United States.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Germany was a global powerhouse in manufacturing, and German-made toys and dolls flooded the lucrative American and British export markets. To protect domestic industries, Western governments passed laws requiring imported goods to be clearly marked with their place of origin. The McKinley Tariff Act mandated that all foreign goods imported into the U.S. must be marked with their country of origin in legible English words.
Because the primary buyers were English speakers in the United States and Great Britain, using the native word "Deutschland" would violate import regulations, potentially causing customs to reject the shipments. Rather than making different molds for domestic and export sales, major doll factories like J.D. Kestner standardly incised the English name "Germany" right into the porcelain clay molds for all production.
Antique Kestner 171 dolls are highly prized by enthusiasts. Depending entirely on the size of the doll, the structural condition of the porcelain (checking for hairline fractures with a blacklight), and whether the composition body finish or outfit is original, dolls of
Signature/Maker’s Mark: Back of the head (photo #12). Height without hat: 18.5". See less