Early1920’s Lenci Toddler
I colorized the vintage photo from the previous post about the early Lenci toddler.
Early 1920s Lenci Fat Face Toddler
Category Archives: Lenci Dolls
Lenci doll in 1920s Store Window
Lenci doll in shop window 1920s
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.
Lenci series 109/48
Very Early Lenci Toddler Doll
Early Lenci Fat Face 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.
Lenci ad Playthings1921
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.
LENCI lead button
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.
1923 Lenci catalog 108 C Fat Face Toddler 15"
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
This was the live proxibid auction of Theriaults “Other People’s Lives” – Session II, Antique Dolls on Saturday, January 14, 2012. The highest price of this selection went to lot 399 a very rare ethnic doll “Hottentot” from the mid 1920’s in great condition with original outfit and accessories, closely followed by a rare googly, autumn from the seasons collection of 1931. The Pola Negri doll with silk hair in a white dress with felt trimmings that was attributed to Lenci – in my opinion it looks more like a Perotti of Brazil – it sold for $4,000. Joao Perotti was a former Lenci worker that started his own company in Brazil and made dolls using molded felt similar to the Lenci dolls, but using cheaper materials like the silk hair, and usually they are dressed in spanish costume and their felt trimmings often use zig zag edging (which is rarely seen in Lenci dolls) like the flower in the hair of this doll.
 |
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
Madame Pompadour Lenci doll series 165/16 with tag 1930
Madame Pompadour Lenci doll serie 165/16 with tag 1930
More treats for Lenci fans on eBay for the holiday season – the highlight this weekend is without doubt the Madame Pompadour Lenci doll series no 165/16 with tag 1930 in lovely condition.
Black Anili Dolls on eBay
This time of the year usually turns up a few treats for Lenci collectors on eBay. Many of you will already know that Anili is the daughter of Elena Scavini(Madame Lenci). When Madame Lenci sold her company to the Garella’s in the early 1930’s she stayed on as artistic director for a number of years, and then left the company. Her daughter Anili started a new company called Anili, they made felt dolls dolls under the Anili label. Madame Lenci herself was involved in the design of the dolls so they are of interest to Lenci collectors for this reason. Lenci was Elena Scavini’s nickname, it is a diminutive of her original German name ‘Helenchen’. When she sold the business she could no longer make dolls under the Lenci name. This week on eBay I see two black Anili dolls that I have not seen before from seller palm7875
They are black dolls in two versions of the Anili doll molds
Black Anili Lady doll on eBay
Black Anili Child Doll on eBay
1930's Lenci Bambina Ebay member beamdoggie is selling a rare Lenci Bambina on eBay this week. This is a lovely 1930’s Lenci Bambina in fine condition and a treat for some Lenci collector for the holidays. It is rare to see a Lenci bambina at auction so just looking at the pictures is a treat. The seller has added a picture from Nancy Lazenby’s book Lenci: The History and the Dolls that looks like the same exact doll. She is wearing a pair of jeans and shoes that were originally made for a “MyTwinn” doll – you can find MyTwinn clothes on eBay click here for a selection Continue reading Edith, The Lonely Doll, is a character in the much loved vintage storybooks by Dare Wright that date from the 1950s. The main character is Edith, an early 109 series Lenci Doll of 1924 see b/w picture below from the 1924 Ars Novita Catalog, that was a childhood doll of Dare Wright’s, one of two Lenci dolls she had kept since her childhood. Her other Lenci was a boudoir doll. Continue reading Lenci Bambina on ebay this week
A Lenci Makeover: The Lonely Doll
The above picture is features a shabby old 109 series Lenci doll given a makeover to look like Edith from the Lonely doll books. Her sweater was made from an old ribbed sweater I cut up in 4 parts to make to body and sleeves. The hat I knitted using a photo from the book Edith and the duckling
as a reference. You can buy the pattern for the hat at
http://lenci-dolls.com/knit_hat.html or click on the picture above to buy the pattern and download it now.Edith The Lonely Doll
