Lenci doll “Salomé” in Noi & IL Mondo in December 1919 – Noi e il Mondo. Rivista mensile de “La Tribuna”

This is a rare early Lenci doll designed by Elena Scavini that dates to the very early years of the Lenci company of Turin before 1923. She first appeared in an article in the Italian monthly review Noi & IL Mondo  in December 1919  and was referred to as “bellisima Salomé” and later the same doll appeared in an early ad by the Lenci company in Playthings Magazine in Oct 1920 before they had created their first catalog. There are no records of any Lenci catalogs before 1923. The appearance of the Lenci dolls in the 1919 article is significant as it is the possibly one of the earliest published materials of the Lenci company, There is a separate ad by Lenci in the same issue that does not even have a company logo – more about this in a follow up post so stay tuned!

1923 Catalog

I recall that the late Rosita Siccardi,esteemed Lenci expert from Turin, told me that when the Lenci company began in 1919 on a small scale in the first few years they advertised only in publications and trade magazines etc but the first proper sales catalog was not created until 1923 when they had hired new designers such as Dudovitch et al. who were given that task of producing the first complete Lenci catalog.. The 1923 catalog included records of all they dolls that were available up to that date including the early dolls such as this exotic Lenci lady. She appeared in the 1923 catalog in a tableau next to the early “Indian” dolls of the same period.

See this early Lenci dancer doll on eBay

Reference: Noi e il Mondo. Rivista mensile de “La Tribuna” Dec 1919