China Dolls

Since the first dolls created during the dawn of human civilization or even earlier, many different types of materials have been used for the purpose. Stone, wood and clay were the first substances that were used for making dolls. Then as mining, metallurgical and other technologies were invented and advanced, more sophisticated materials like wax, wool, cloth, felt and paper began to be used. China dolls came into existence in Europe around the beginning of the 19th century, and since then china has remained an enduring favorite among doll makers and collectors.

The word 'china' in 'china dolls' is not a flippant or accidental occurrence. Porcelain was indeed first invented and used in ancient China, approximately two thousand years ago, during the reign of the Eastern Han dynasty. However, original ancient Chinese porcelain wouldn't probably count as such according to modern European definitions. Influenced by certain technical improvements made in England in the 19th century, we have come to recognize bone china, with its pale translucence, as the hallmark of anything worthy of that name. Ancient Chinese porcelain was not translucent, but the rare extant specimens of it are valued extremely by collectors and connoisseurs.

The porcelain that was used for making china dolls in 19th century Europe used to be fired in consecutive kilns, and the primary kiln had to have a temperature of at least 2372 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1318 degrees Celsius. Not all types of clay could take that kind of heat, so it took skill and practice to choose the right kind of raw clay, depending upon what you wanted to make. An industry for producing china dolls sprang up in several European countries like France, Denmark and Germany in the 1840-s. About a couple of decades later, modifications were made to the china doll making technique to improve their life-like appearance. For example, the heads of the china dolls were eventually switched to another ceramic material, bisque, because it increased the verisimilitude of the dolls to actual human beings.

Bisque is a material similar to china, the only difference being bisque is fired at lower temperatures and using a slightly different technique, and china is glazed while bisque is not. The lack of glazing removed the shine from the surface, and this made the surface of the china dolls look more realistically like human skin.

One historically important and famous china doll was the French 'bebe', which was first made in the 1850-s. Till then, most china dolls were representations of adult persons. The bebe was the first to break that tradition, through the depiction of a young girl, a child. The French tradition with china dolls was highly acclaimed for its artistic achievement. However, Germany soon stole the market from them because they could produce it much cheaper. The trend of making realistic china dolls started with the Germans, too, around the beginning of the 20th century, and this still continues today as we see picture-perfect china dolls on the market, from makers such as Marie Osmond and others.