Antique Doll

Q: I have a 19th-century doll that belonged to my grandmother. The doll is 17 inches tall with a porcelain head and a stuffed leather body. Her hair is styled in a long braid down her back. I was told that her wig is human hair. She has pierced ears and blue glass eyes that move. She wears a skirt, a petticoat and pantaloons under her maroon coat. I haven’t found any markings on her, but a medal embossed “Souvenir, International Range Cattle & Horse Growers Association, Denver 1886” is tied to her waist. Can you tell me any history and value of the doll?

A: Dolls like yours, with leather bodies, porcelain heads and movable glass eyes were made in the mid-1800s and early 1900s. Glass dolls’ eyes were made in Germany, France, England and other countries in the mid 1800s. An English maker of dolls’ eyes said blue was the most popular color because it was the color of Queen Victoria’s eyes. Several French and German doll makers made dolls with leather bodies and bisque heads about 1900. Not all dolls were marked, but if you can find a mark it will help to date and value the doll. Look for a maker’s mark on the back of the doll’s head. You might have to lift up her wig slightly to find the mark. The souvenir medal attached to the doll’s waist probably has nothing to do with the doll but might indicate she was bought about the same time.