New Here - questions on inherited dolls

Hi All,
I have a few of Dolls I inherited from my grandparents from their travels 50's-70's. I don't know a lot about these -so I thought I would post for folks to share info / interest.

 

You certainly do and... aren't they sweet?

Debora

 

Welcome, Echo. A pretty lot.
I don't know what you want to know, so I'll just start.

First photo, top row, the two next to the Scottish two are from Wales, the one on the right is from Burgos in Spain.
The second row, the two on the left are historic costumes, maybe wives of Henry VIII? The others are too generic to define.

The bottom photo are two Indonesian wayang puppets in the background, what looks like an Italian doll on the left, then two which could be North African? The girl with the pretty yellow ribbons is Czech.

If someone can turn the second photo the right way, I could see if I can identify the wayang puppets. I am closing for the night, so that would be tomorrow.

 

Hi Echo!
Welcome to Antiquers.

You can do a search on eBay for each country represented, to get a fair value.

It's doubtful that any of them would bring very much, but it's possible that some might bring more than others.

 

Apart from the wayang puppets, the best one of the lot is the Czech girl, then the Spanish one from Burgos.

 

The two in bottom row at right appear to be from Ireland. The one in red with lace cap is too generic to identify (although she might be meant to be French.) You should check for markings on the doll itself. The one with the conical hat, which is called a tantour, would be from Lebanon. And the two with brass objects likely North African.

Debora

 

@Christmasjoy

 

Sorry to be so late .. The dolls are sweet, but are out of my realm as I collect dolls from before the 1900's. I do recognize the first two dolls .. they were made in England. They are definitely from the dates stated and most appear to be made of hard plastic. Not a lot of value here but they are cute and collectible. Everyone was spot on with their assessments ... Joy.

 

Thank you All. This is really great to know some details.I wish I had a journal or something from my grandparents travel!

 

@Any Jewelry

 

greetings....
the wayangs are likely the prize.....but doll collectors of all stripes are out there !!

 

I was thinking the same thing. Someone would mount and shadowbox the puppets in a heartbeat.

 

I was considering that about the hat. I only know them in metal, though.
It was worn in the Syrian influenced nations, of which Lebanon was one. The others were Palestine, Jordan, and Syria proper, of course.
It was also worn by the Arab/Moorish and Jewish populations in North Africa.
This is the Palestine tantour:



Lebanese tantour:


Druze tantour:

​

The North African Moorish/Jewish type is slightly wider, and covered with filigree. It is called a sarma.

The doll itself looks Italian, and the clothing looks too European to be Middle Eastern or North African I think. It is also wearing an apron, which is not a Levantine custom.
I seem to remember a high conical hat being worn somewhere on Sardinia, where they also wear a lot of black and red, and white lace ruffles, but I would have to dig out my Sardinian costume book.

 

I'll get back to you later on the possible identity of the wayang puppets. They are Javanese, I forgot to say yesterday.
Is the size in inches or cm?

 

Thanks inh, that makes it the regular Javanese size. I am always hoping for slightly smaller ones, which could be Madurese.

Your puppets are wayang kulit (leather) from the Wayang Purwa theatre. Wayang Purwa is the oldest and most classic form of shadow/puppet theatre. It is mostly performed in central Java.
The plays are mainly from the Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Javanese epics are slightly different from the Indian ones, with less action and more talking. Suspense or aggression is expressed by the type of face and the colours. A main character can appear in different versions for different moods as the story progresses.
Both your puppets are 'good guys'.

The white-faced one is a bit of a mystery. He reminds me of Arjuna, a noble hero from the Mahabharata epic. But when Arjuna has a white face, he shouldn't be wearing bracelets, which yours is.
The shawl over his shoulder is usually worn by divinities, but divinities wear a crown.
I'll do some research, if I find him, I'll post it.

The black-faced one is Arjuna's son Angkawidjaya, also called Abimanyu. He has the same noble personality as his father, but is more introspective and quiet. His loose hair defines him as an ascetic.

 

AMAZING KNOWLEGE! THANK YOU.