Early Kathe Kruse Cloth Doll. All-Original Pristine Condition

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Early Kathe Kruse Cloth Doll. All-Original Pristine Condition:
$9750.00

All-original Kathe Kruse Doll I handmade at the Kathe Kruse studios in Bad Kosen, Germany circa 1915. This doll has never been altered or played with and is shown exactly as it was orginally produced. The head and Doll I cotton torso and limbs are in perfect condition. The unique 2-pc costume consists of an overblouse and matching skirt sewn at the waist to a undertop. Both the skirt and overblouse feature snap closures in the back. As you can see in the photos, the pattern on the fabric is cleverly acheived by hand sewing golden yellow wool yarn and black & white cotton twist into the fabric. The back view of the bonnet shows the origami-like folds and construction details.French knots add to the decorative effect.The extensive handwork reflects the arts & craft sensibility that Kathe Kruse brought to her doll making workshop. The original Kruse undergarments are all fine crisp cotton with Val lace trim. The incredible workmanship includes French seams, hand-sewn buttonholes, and tiny milk glass buttons.On her feet, this darling toddler wears her original trademark Kruse slippers which are handwoven and handsewn of straw-hemp material.
The face of this doll shows the great artistry of the early Kruse dolls. The eyes have wonderful painted features including threaded iris\'s and numerous shades of brown and grey to achieve their realistic effect. The high color of the cheeks and skin give this doll a wonderful glow. The hair is beautifully painted in soft curls which extend to each side of the face. One foot has what appears to be an extremely faint stamp of \"Germany\" while the other foot has the Kathe Kruse signature along with the numbers 23365. This doll was prominently featured in the book \'Cloth Dolls\' by Phillis A. Rustam - A.S. Barnes & Co., Inc. 1980.
Approximately 100 years old,this glorious doll has been carefully preserved in our personal collection for the past 30 years. There are only a few defects which were present when we purchased the doll. There is very small amount of paint loss to the forelock hair painting. This is not distracting due to the curly nature of the hairstyle. The rest of the head painting is perfect. Any light areas on the painted surfaces are due to flash reflection.Secondly, there are a few small \'pinholes\' in the costume. I\'m not sure what would have caused these tiny holes in the fabric. They are only noticable on close inspection and have been there for over 30 years. In the closeups you can see that there is also a small area on one side of the bonnet where the cloth has thinned. Other than these noted defects, the doll and costume appear fresh and vivid. There is no fading, no discoloration, no odors, no repairs, no restoration, and no replacements. This is a truly fabulous example of the famous Doll I which established Kathe Kruse as a legendary dollmaker. We feel confident that you will not be disappointed but if for any reason you wish to return the doll, we will accept returns within 14 days at the buyer\'s expense.Thanks for looking and best wishes!