Author Archives: Patricia
Gift Idea: Handmade Felt Slippers
I came across these lovely handmade felt slippers for sale on a UK website today – a great gift idea for cozy feet!
Source:http://www.sewheartfelt.co.uk/sew_heart_felt/felt_slippers
L’Avventura Lenci a Palazzo Madama
Exhibition of Lenci Ceramics at Palazzo Madama
Identifying Lenci Ceramics: Lady with Frog
First of all I am not an expert on Lenci ceramics but I occasionally get questions from readers regarding ceramics and figurines they wish to identify or evaluate and I try to point them in the right direction if I can. Here is a example of one case. The owner of the lady with frog pictured here was looking for help identifying her figurine. A friend who had a great reference book at the time was able to find a page showing that lady was originally standing in a cup – I expect you would fill the cup with water as a display or centerpiece. The title is NUDA CON RANOCCHIO CON COPPA by Mario Sturani, an artist who worked for Lenci, the mark on the original is “Lenci Made in Italy Torino B. s.g.d.”
The figurine is 10x35cm and the cup is 12x17cm.
I also found a Lot Description online in the Christies past auctions with price from a previous auction which refers to a lady that is not in a cup.:
Lot details: “A Lenci matt glazed figure of a naked young girl standing holding a green frog in the right hand, painted factory mark (restored) — 13½in. high”
Price Realized (Set Currency) £1,210
($1,884)
Price includes buyer’s premium
Estimate£1,000 – £1,500
($1,557 – $2,336)
Sale Information
Sale 4867
decorative arts,1850 to the present day
10 December 1992
London, South Kensington
On the same reference page is another art deco looking figurine of a Lady holding a frog in one hand and shading it with the other hand. This one is called GINESTRA and it is by Sandro Vacchetti , Marked Essevi Made in Italy Torino 1-939 XVII.
A good reference book for Lenci ceramics is Le Ceramiche Lenci by Alfonso Panzetta (Link to book page at Amazon) – the full title is “Le ceramiche Lenci, 1928-1964: Catalogo generale dall’archivio storico della manifattura” . Its currently out of print but it worth looking for used copies if you can get one.
Description:
“The privilege of exclusive access to the archive of the legendary factory in Turin, whose works are now highly sought after by museums and collectors around the world, has allowed us to make this work, which classifies the almost total ceramic production during the entire activity atelier. In addition to an exceptional array of nearly two thousand copies, some of which works now found, scattered in unknown locations and perhaps destroyed, this systematic repertoire includes all relevant information, meticulously verified as dating, names of artists and decorators, trademarks, measures and number of units produced.”
Early 1920s Lenci Fat Face Toddler
I colorized the vintage photo from the previous post about the early Lenci toddler.
Lenci doll in 1920s Store Window
This little girl is looking at a shop window full of dolls. the doll that caught her eye seems to be looking right back at her. In the center front is a 22 inch 109 series Lenci doll in a plaid felt dress that first appeared in the Lenci catalog in 1927 as model 109/48 so this dates the photo to the mid to late 1920’s to early 1930s
Actually there is another lenci doll in the picture – can you spot it? Is is only partly visible to the right of the picture, it appears to be a Lenci 300 series or a Grugnetto boy doll carrying a cane.
Very Early Lenci Toddler Doll
This is a vintage photo I saw on Etsy today. This is the earliest version of the108 Series Fat Face Lenci dolls. These 15 inch fat baby dolls were made from 1919-21 and were seen in the early ads and the 108 series doll appeared in very first Lenci catalog of 1923 which included examples of the dolls and characters Lenci was selling up to that time.
The Lenci ad above is from the american toy trade Playthings magazine 1921, showing a selection of Lenci dolls for promotion on the American market that year. There are two of the early chubby baby dolls on the top row.
The article page above shows a goup of the early fat face Lenci babies from the Farago collection. The doll on the right looks like the exact same doll from the black and white photo on etsy.These early fat babies are now very rare and are rarely seen at auction or on eBay. See below a rare picture from the 1923 catalog of one of the 108 series fat face toddlers – notice the doll from the catalog that has separate fingers in contrast to earlier 108 series dolls in the photos above that have joined fingers.
The early Lenci dolls made before 1923 often have human hair and many have a metal(lead) round button tag on the body or clothing similar to the Steiff button, with the word “LENCI” in capital letters on it. These early dolls can be difficult to identify. They have coarser features than the later dolls as the process was not refined yet and they were likely molded by Lenci herself.
From about 1923 when the dolls were increasing in popularity, Lenci hired artists and one of them was assigned the task of creating the 1923 catalog which was to showcase all the types of characters and dolls they were producing going back to the early dolls like the 15 inch 108 Series Fat baby from the 1923 catalog pictured above as well as the new dolls for 1923. With new artistic input and synergy there was a rapid development of production with culminated in the beautifully refined child and lady dolls produced from the mid 20’s to the early 30’s.
I am looking for more picture to share on the website so if you know of any please let me know. Continue reading
Closing Prices for Lenci Dolls on Jan 14 Theriaults auction
Rare Italian Brown Felt Character Doll by Lenci with Original Costume and Jewelry 1200/1700
16″ (41 cm.) Slender girl of reddish/brown felt with swivel head, elongated throat, pressed and painted facial features, brown side-glancing eyes, white eyedots, dot brow…more
Extremely Rare and Wonderful Italian Felt Googly by Lenci Known as “Autumn” 3000/4000
19″ (48 cm.) Felt swivel head with pressed and painted facial features, large round googly eyes in brown painted downcast expression, outlined eyes with curly lashes, sli…more
Rare Italian Felt Doll by Lenci, Inspired by Mary Pickford, from “Poupées Salon” Series 2500/3500
28″ (71 cm.) One-piece felt head and torso with refined slender shape and pose, her head inclined to the right with uptilted chin, side-glancing blue eyes in defined eye …more
Italian Felt Character Doll Portraying Josephine Baker by Lenci 5000/7000
18″ (46 cm.) Plumply-shaped light brown wool felt swivel head with pressed and painted facial features, brown side-glancing painted eyes with white eyedots, curly lashes,…more
Early and Very Rare Italian Felt Spanish Lady by Lenci with Superb Costume and Painted Teeth 2000/30
29″ (74 cm.) Felt swivel head with elongated strong throat, head positioned to look sideways, strongly-modeled facial features, brown side-glancing eyes with black upper …more
The Rare Italian Cloth Portrait Doll by Lenci Depicting Valentino as “The Sheik” 4000/6500
30″ (76 cm.) Felt swivel head with firmly-pressed and painted facial features, strongly-defined cheeks, jaw and nose structure, painted brown side-glancing eyes, painted …more
Wonderful Italian Felt Doll Depicting Actress Pola Negri by Lenci 2000/3000
29″ (74 cm.) Felt swivel head with very elongated strong throat, oval-shaped face with pressed and painted facial features, brown-side-glancing eyes with brown encircling…more
Rare Italian Felt “Bellhop Googly” by Lenci, Model 563 from 1928 Catalog 1200/2000
23″ (58 cm.) Felt swivel head with pressed and painted facial features, very chubby cheeks, large shaded-blue side-glancing eyes with pronounced white accent dots, grey e…more
An All-Original Italian Felt Character Girl, 109 Model, by Lenci 1200/1700
23″ (58 cm.) Felt swivel head with pressed and painted facial features, brown side-glancing eyes, dark upper eyeliner with painted curly lashes, white eyedots, grey lower…more
Wonderful Italian Felt Sunflower Girl from Series 110 by Lenci 1100/1500
18″ (46 cm.) Felt swivel head with pressed and painted facial features, brown side-glancing eyes with pronounced shading and white accent dots, grey eye shadow, painted b…more
Italian Felt Character, Opium Smoker with Pipe, by Lenci 1500/1800
11″ (28 cm.) All-felt doll with plump swivel head, amber-tinted complexion, high domed forehead with high comma-shaped brows, modeled closed eyes, long painted lashes, cl…more
Early Italian Felt Doll by Lenci Depicting Spanish Lady with Wooden Fan 1200/1800
24″ (61 cm.) Felt swivel head with uptilted face on long slender neck, original darkened complexion, well-defined chin and cheek bones, painted facial features, side-glan…more
Italian Felt Glass-Eyed Googly Known as the Merry Widow by Lenci 1200/1700
19″ (48 cm.) Felt swivel head with firmly-pressed facial features, blue glass flirty googly eyes, long painted curly brown lashes, high arched brows, upturned rounded no…more
An All-Original Italian Felt Character Girl, 300 Series, by Lenci 900/1200
17″ (43 cm.) Felt swivel head with pressed and painted facial features, brown side-glancing eyes with grey lower eye shadow, painted brown curly lashes, accented nostrils…more
Italian Felt “Barefoot Winker” by Lenci in Original Costume, with Silver Lenci Button 1200/1500
11″ (28 cm.) Felt swivel head with pressed and painted facial features, eyes sculpted to appear as though he is winking with painted blue left eye nearly shut, paitned la…more
Two Italian Felt Miniature Dolls by Lenci in Original Matching Gowns 400/700
8″ (20 cm.) Each has felt swivel head with pressed and painted facial features, blue or brown side-glancing googly eyes, painted curly lashes, “O” shaped mouth, blonde mo…more
Two Italian Felt Miniature Dolls by Lenci 400/600
8″ (20 cm.) Each has felt head with pressed and painted facial features, painted googly-like eyes, long curly lashes, rounded nose, closed mouth with pouty lips, accente…more
Italian Felt Glass-Eyed Googly in Organdy Gown 1100/1500
19″ (48 cm.) Felt swivel head with pressed facial features, brown glass googly eyes with grey eye shadow and dramatic long curly painted brown lashes, slightly-modeled br…more
Two Italian Cloth Miniature Dolls by Lenci in Original Vibrant Costumes 400/700
9″ (23 cm.) Each has felt swivel head with pressed and painted facial features, brown side-glancing googly eyes, painted curly upper lashes, comma brows, accented nostril…more
Upcoming auctions: Rare Lenci dolls at auction Jan 14 2012
Lenci Collectors will be delighted to see rare Lenci dolls on the block at Proxibid online auction on Jan 14 2012
Among the listing is a rare Rudolf Valentino Lenci doll and Lenci Lady dolls, Lenci googlies, plus rare ethnic Lenci dolls such as the early Chinese Opium Smoker with pipe and two black Lenci dolls, the smaller black doll with grass skirt and the Josephine Baker Lenci seen in the 1926 Lenci catalog. You can see an original 1927 Lenci catalog picture of the Rudolf Valentino Lenci doll in the 1927 Lenci Catalog slide show in the Gallery section.
Click here for the Lenci items on Proxibid
Read about Josephine Baker Lenci doll : Celebrity Favorites: Josephine Baker
Beware of Fraudulent Lenci Auction Listing on eBay
I just had an email from Stefanie the owner of this rare Lenci Spanish Lady doll to tell me that her pictures are currenty being used by another seller on ebay who does not have her doll – and her doll is NOT for sale. I searched ebay and found an auction using her pictures and a copy of english part of her description at eBay listing no 130619111628. I am assured by Stefanie that her doll is not for sale and the person using her pictures is using them without her permission. She has notified eBay about this issue.
Her original auction was at this link and that auction is now closed.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160664965846#ht_1682wt_1138