Name: “Under the Big Top” Clowns Made by and When: Goldie Wilson, 2023 Material: Porcelain, cloth, beads for weighting, mohair, silk fabric, and paint Marks:  Goldie Wilson Height: 11-1/2 inches Hair, Eyes, Mouths: Each doll has a hand-painted clown face, a handmade mohair wig, inset brown-glass eyes, and a closed mouth. Clothes/Accessories: Exquisitely dressed in hats or hair adornments and hand-made silk costumes with decorative cylindrical boxes, no two are alike. Each clown holds something in its hand—a pet’s leash, a lollipop, and/or a parasol. These are four of the eight porcelain c ..read more

Name: O. J. Simpson Made by and When: Shindana Toys, Inc., 1975 Material: Multiarticulated vinyl Marks:  (Head) SHINDANA TOYS / ©1975, (lower back below waist) HONG KONG Height: 9-1/2 inches Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Sculpted/molded black Afro, brown-painted eyes, smiling mouth with painted teeth area Clothes: This doll wears a dark blue sports uniform with the initials OJ on the long-sleeved top, a blue helmet, white socks, and blue and white sneakers. Has an extra blue #32 jersey, red shorts, and a football. (See a complete O.J. gift set doll and accessories here.) Other: This portrait doll of ..read more

Name: Prodigyrls Nicole and Janelle Made by and When: Prodigyrls, 2009 Material: Vinyl heads, necks, arms, and legs; the torso is cloth dyed to match the vinyl skin color. Marks:  Unmarked Height: 18 inches (slim-bodied) Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Both dolls have rooted hair. Nicole’s black hair is styled in two side pigtails with spiral curls and polka dot fabric ribbons. Janelle’s auburn hair is spiral-curled and hangs loose under her polka dot chef’s hat. The brown stationary eyes have applied upper eyelashes and painted lower eyelashes. The mouths are closed with a prominent tubercule (upper ..read more

Name: German Brown-Bisque Child Made by and When: Armand Marseille, early 1900s Material: Brown bisque socket head, brown composition and wooden stick-leg-type jointed body Marks:  A 390 M Height: 18 inches Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Black shoulder-length wig with bangs and up-flipped ends, brown sleep eyes, painted lashes, feathered black brows, open mouth with upper teeth, and dimpled chin Clothes: Period-appropriate antique rose silk dress, new brown leather shoes Other: This #390 mold by Armand Marseille is often referred to as Florodora with the alternate spelling of Floradora. This example ..read more

Name: American Girl Disney Princess Tiana Made by and When: American Girl, released in 2024 Material: Vinyl and cloth, synthetic-fiber wig Marks:  The star-within-a-star American Girl logo is incised on the sole of the left foot. Height: 18 inches Hair, Eyes, Mouth: An upswept black curly wig of synthetic fibers with side tendrils accented with a glittery green headband with yellow organza and satin petals, brown sleep eyes, parted smile with two upper teeth and nude lip color Clothes (as described by American Girl): A green-and-yellow dress featuring a yellow organza illusion neckline, s ..read more

Name: Little Miss Celie Harris Made by and When: Rachel McCullough Sherrod of Starkey’s Daughter Cloth Dolls, 2024 Material: Synthetic hair, wool-blend felt face over sculpted clay; felt arms and legs; stuffed cotton-blend head and torso Marks: Signed by the artist, Rachel McCullough Sherrod of Starkey’s Daughter Cloth Dolls and dated, also has a hang tag that contains the artist’s information and a certificate of authenticity Height: 16 inches Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Handmade black wig, brown-painted eyes, closed mouth with painted dark lip color Clothes: Vintage straw boater hat with a black ribb ..read more

Name: Scootles Made by and When: Jesco, 1991 Material: Full-bodied porcelain Marks:  305 (written on the back of the neck on the right) Height: 14 inches Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Molded short curls, brown side-glancing eyes; closed, smiling mouth Clothes: White lace blouse, satin aqua suspender skirt with floral appliqués at the waist, white panties, white knee-high socks, black faux leather ankle-strap shoes with cutouts on the vamp. Other: Scootles is a reproduction of the 1920s composition doll by Rose O’Neill. Gallery _________ Your comments are valued. Donations aid the initiative to ..read more

Name: Customized OOAK Barbie Made by and When: Crystal McMurray/Of Birds and Lilies, January 2024 Material: Vinyl, paint, sealant, glue, fabric Height: 11-1/2 inches Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Rooted black Afro accented with a gold cloth bow, repainted facial features Clothes: A custom-made black satin dress with gold and black cotton fabric accents at the bodice and waist, black fishnet hose embellished with black felt dots and gold paint, custom-made black and gold high-heel shoes, a black satin shoulder strap purse with a gold ribbon accent and gold cord shoulder strap, and repainted gold hoop earr ..read more

Name: FATIBA Made by and When: Marcella Welch, 2003 Material: Cloth, stuffing, porcelain or resin head and hands Marks: (Handwritten on the neck) 2003 Marcella Height: 15 inches Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Handmade upswept wig of synthetic fibers, black-painted eyes, closed mouth with dark lip color, has a beauty mark above the right upper lip. Clothes: Silver and gold fabric print dress, scarf imprinted with “Dream” on one side and “Believe” on the other side, wears black earrings, has a decorative green metal neckplate, and wears a tignon Other: FATIBA, an ultra-limited-edition stump doll, was design ..read more

Name: Gebruder Kuhnlenz #34-27 Made by and When: Gebruder Kuhnlenz c. 1910 Material: Bisque head, jointed composition body Marks:  34-27 Height: 17 inches Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Black mohair wig, brown sleep eyes, black brows, open mouth with full red lips Clothes: Wears a period-appropriate white striped dress with a sailor’s collar and white cotton undergarments. Other: Made in Germany, this Gebruder Kuhnlenz doll uses their mold 34-27 which was designed for brown- and black-complexioned dolls. “Kuhnlenz was possibly the most prolific German doll maker of bisque head black dolls. It is beli ..read more