: The late doll collectors Faith Atkinson and Jane Anderson lived
not far apart, one in Short Hills, N.J.; the other in
Saylorsburg, Penn. It is unlikely they ever met, although it is
certain they shared a common love of antique childhood objects.
On November 8-9, the collections of the two women were merged in
a Theriault's 530-lot auction of antique dolls, toys and
childhood ephemera that included rare Christmas decorations.
A testament to the auction's diversity, and its appeal to a wide
range of doll collectors, was Theriault's receiving the second
highest number of absentee bids in company history. The catalog
was also the second best selling in its 30-year history,
surpassed only by the legendary estate of Mildred Seeley sold by
Theriault's in 2002. All prices cited include a ten percent
buyer's premium.
The Saturday auction, comprising rare antique dolls, was
highlighted by a painted eye German bisque character doll by
Marseille that soared to $26,400 ($8/11,000) and a stunning
26-inch bébé by Leon Casimir Bru that sold for $23,100.
Painted-eye German bisque character doll by Marseille, $26,400.
An 18-inch bisque pouty character, model 8587, by Gebruder
Heubach, went to $14,300 against its presale of $3,5/4,500, while a
nine-inch Kammer and Reinhardt 131 googly reach $6,380 ($¾ ,000)
and a ten-inch, all-original Just Me with original paper label "I'm
Just Me, Your Dolly" tickled collectors' fancies and quickly moved
to a final bid of $5,060 ($1,5/2,000).
French bébés by Emile Jumeau were highly favored in the auction:
examples include a size ten portrait $9,900, size eight Depose EJ
at $9,020 and size nine earliest model EJ at $18,150.
Little all-bisque mignonettes are especially sought by collectors
now and the Jane Anderson collection featured a fine selection,
many originally purchased from Theriault doll auctions during the
1990s; a five-inch French all-bisque with bare feet went to
$1,760, another five-inch with smiling expression also reached
$1,760, while a five-inch model with ball-jointed elbows went to
a delighted collector for $4,730.
Little dolls did not need to be entirely bisque to be popular; a
pair of all-original superbly costumed dollhouse soldiers soared
to $3,080, a pair of Kestner bisque dolls, marked 155, went to
$3,410 in vigorous bidding and a seven-inch Marquis and Marquise
in original presentation box paraded to $2,860, all tripling
their presale high estimate.
Because the Faith Atkinson collection was built during the 1950s
it contained many rarities, virtually impossible to find today.
Among these were the wooden walking dolls presented on the
catalog cover, selling at $6,380 and $5,720, respectively. A
musical automaton by the Prague firm of Pzebitschek, made in the
early 1800s, was perfectly preserved under its original glass
dome and sold at $11,550; and a medieval figure from the Dressel
and Kister half-doll series soared to $4,070.
On Sunday, November 9, Theriault's featured Christmas ornaments
and ephemera, as well as a fine group of toys from the Jane
Anderson collection. Of particular note was a hand-wind
automation "Christmas Morning" made about 1890 by the German firm
of Zinner and Sohne. Bidding was extremely active on the six-doll
toy whose lithography was near-perfectly preserved, finally
closing at $34,100, more than triple the high presale estimate.
Pouty boy by Gebruder Heubach, $14,300. Small Heubach
character, $550.
Anderson had collected superb examples of the Nineteenth
Century papier mache ornaments known as "Dresden" in reference to
the city in which they were made; a lot of three sailboat ornaments
sold for $2,310; 17 various Dresden animals went to $5,390; seven
amusing figurals including a performing bear and elephant and Santa
on Reindeer went to $7,920; and other groups went to $5,060, $5,940
and $7,040.
A six-foot feather tree with 100 figural milk glass lights topped
at $1,870, a 52-inch feather tree with innumerable glass
ornaments went to $4,840 and a 17-inch German papier mache St
Nicholas candy container in yellow snow-flecked suit soared to
$6,380.
Tin toys from the Anderson collection included Riding on the
Boardwalk selling at $1,210; and Einfalt's Children at Tug of War
at $1,485. Anderson had a particular fondness for toys by the
American firm of Strauss, including "What's It?" in original box,
selling at $1,430, Big Show Circus that reached $935 and "Santee
Claus" going to a delighted collector for $2,420.
The three-day auction weekend topped $1.3 million.
