Beaver Den News, The White Cooper

Beaver Den News

April 2007

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Lenci Doll

Creating a new item is a delight to Jim. Some of his creations have included making replicas of a washtub, washboard and bucket for a display in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC., making a replica of a War of 1812 canteen which is also in the Smithsonian, the vivandiere keg used in the Civil War which was found at Ft. Boonesborough, KY. Since large White Mountain ice cream freezers are no longer manufactured, Jim has the opportunity to repair them or make a new bucket, being sure to get the size exact so the mechanism will fit.

One of Jim’s latest creations is a yoke for a Lenci doll. A lady in California called to ask if Jim could make a yoke for her doll since it had been lost before she purchased it. Lenci dolls are felt dolls created by Madame Lenci in Turin, Italy in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Her dolls were an alternative to the porcelain dolls of the time, but only the rich could afford them. Some dolls are extremely expensive today--one Lenci doll in the box on Ebay has a bid of $1333. The Lenci dolls have realistic faces and expressions. They have naturalistic mounding and painted felt faces. One of the dolls is called Pouty because it looks as if it’s pouting. Madame Lenci had unique costumes for her dolls. Some of the dolls represent different cultures such as the little Dutch boy, the Japanese, peasants, the British guard, the Italians, cowboys, babies, etc. They range in height from 6-19”.

For more information see these sites:

History

http://www.fallimentobamboleitaliane.com/History_of_%20dolls.htm

http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/collections/dolls/ragdolls/lenci_boy_girl_doll/index.html

History of Madame Lenci

http://www.fallimentobamboleitaliane.com/AbriefhistoryofMadameLenci.html

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