Vintage Half doll China Bisque Pin Cushion Lady (Lilac Pink dress/ Hat)

Vintage Half doll China Bisque Pin Cushion Lady (Lilac Pink dress with Matching Hat tied with a green ribbon) 16363. The inside has some broken reed so she was probably attached to a bottle top or brush.

Height: ~9.5 cm

This half-doll is in good visible condition with no cracks, chips or restoration.

There is a small mark on her left cheek which, when viewed under a jeweller's loupe, appears to have not been painted: either that or the paint has worn off with age. The price has been adjusted to account for the defect.

She is engraved 'Foreign' with the number 16363 around the base. This indicates that she was probably made in Germany.

The images were taken with and without flash, hence the differences in colour.

Some Trivia For You

Pincushion dolls are not really dolls and often were not even pin cushions! Some collectors use the term “half-doll.” The top half of each doll was made of porcelain.

The edge of the half-doll was made with several small holes for thread, and the doll was stitched to a fabric body with a voluminous skirt. The finished figure was used to cover a hot pot of tea, powder box, pincushion, broom, or lamp.

They were made in sizes from less than an inch to over 9 inches high. Pin cushion dolls were often hand-painted. Most date from the early 1900s to the 1950s. Collectors often find just the porcelain doll without the fabric skirt.

Please click on the following link for more half-dolls.