SREBRAD: |
Today we welcome Helen Gibb, author of The Secrets of Fashioning
Ribbon Flowers,
Heirlooms for the Next Generation, and the soon to be released Heirloom
Ribbonwork, Ribbon Creations for the Next Generation, teacher, lecturer,
and ribbonwork expert to discuss the production and uses of Half Dolls.
Helen is a member and frequent contributor to the silkribbon@yahoogroups
mailing list.
Until Helen and SREBrad sat down, SREBrad was unfamiliar with Half Dolls
(yes, though he is loathe to admit, SREBrad is unfamiliar with some things).
Discussions had taken place on the silkribbon mailing list, but until now,
SREBrad did not understand all of the intricacies of the art of Half Dolls.
Now SREBrad does and hopefully after reading this, you will as well.
Along with this interview, SREBrad and Helen are announcing a special silkribbon
mailing list member exclusive. A private half doll auction to raise funds
for the website. The auction will be for the Lady Madeline Half Doll that
Helen discusses below and as SREBrad said, is open only to members of the
silkribbon@yahoogroups.com mailing list.
Join me in thanking Helen Gibb for taking the time to sit with us.
Helen, I am unfamiliar with the history of half dolls. Could you tell
us a
little about how they started and what they were used for?
|
HELEN: |
Half dolls have been around for over 100 years but exactly when
they
first appeared is up for debate. Some say the mid 1800's while others say
closer to the end of the 1800's. We do know that the first half dolls were
produced in Germany by some of the well known porcelain factories as a
result of the popularity of their porcelain figurines. The early styles
of
half dolls usually represented ladies from previous centuries - powdered
wigs and all! According to the The Half Doll book by Marc and Shona Lorrin,
the first half dolls were called "useful decorative items" and
used on all
manner of cozies - tea, egg, etc. Imagine, an egg cozy with a small half
doll atop? As the 20th century dawned they appeared on many other items
such
as pincushions, candy boxes, powder boxes, (and still the tea cozy!) as
well
as later, on powder patters, bridge pencils, broom tops, telephone covers,
lampshades etc. The models of the dolls also expanded to include the new
fashions of the 1920's and 1930's.
Around the 1920's the half dolls began to be copied by factories in Japan
but unfortunately the quality was very, very poor. Often times the facial
features were so poorly applied that the faces seemed to be disfigured.
The half doll's popularity waned in the late 1930's with very few being
produced after the 1940's.
However, over the last twenty or so years there has been a resurgence of
interest in the antique half dolls. And now new half dolls, based on the
little ladies of yesteryear, are available for us once more - to enjoy and
to turn into useful decorative items!
|
SREBRAD: |
What are half dolls being used for today? |
HELEN: |
Box tops and pincushions are still a staple in the new half doll
craze. After all you can't have just one! But perhaps the newest fad is
to
make a tassel out of a half doll top and some fringing. This tassel is then
embellished with ribbon flowers, beads, fancy threads and all manner of
goodies. I have also been pleased with the lavender sachet dolls that I
make. These are like a tassel half doll but don't have the fringing - just
a
lavender filled sachet instead, and of course decorated to the hilt!
A reproduction half doll used as a
tassel.
Instructions to make this half doll are given in Helen's new book,
Heirloom Ribbonwork |
 |
 |
A modern day half doll pincushion. She sports
a fabric dress, ribbon flowers, and a ribbon chatelaine in the form of a
needlecase and a thimble bucket. |
. |
SREBRAD: |
What are the different materials being used today in the making
of
these dolls? |
HELEN: |
SREBrad, since I am not a maker of the actual half doll itself I
thought it might be more interesting if we had some words "from the
wise" so
to speak - a real half doll manufacturer! This is what she has said to me
when I posed your questions to her:
"Porcelain and earthenware slip is used for making half dolls both
now and
in the past. Porcelain is used and painted on the bisque with china paints
as I paint them, or the porcelain half doll can be glazed, then fired again,
and painted with china paints and re-fired as the antiques were made.
Some antique half dolls were also made from earthenware slip, some during
the periods of wartime and depression, these were glazed and painted with
china paints and underglazes even up to 1950.
Today, porcelain half dolls are also being painted with acrylic paints that
do not require kiln firing, but can be 'hardened or cured' in an oven to
emulate a porcelain finish, but these paints are often opaque dark color
not
transparent as china paints are. The same products are used on earthenware
half dolls. Dolls cast in earthenware will be larger than porcelain ones
cast from the same mold. Porcelain is fired to 1220 degrees C. and shrinks
considerably, earthenware is only fired to 1060 degrees C and shrinkage
is
minimal. Doll makers would use porcelain and china paints, ceramists and
craft persons are more likely to use earthenware and acrylic paints."
|
SREBRAD: |
I'm sure the process of making such a doll varies greatly in the
industry. Could you tell us a little about what goes into producing one
of
these? |
HELEN: |
Again, SREBrad I defer to the better knowledge from my manufacturer
friend for this question.
"The process of making half dolls is similar when casting porcelain
or
earthenware, only the clay and firing temperatures differ as does the
casting time of the mold. Porcelain casting time is 3 minutes in the mold,
earthenware is 15 minutes in the mold. Porcelain, when fired is creamy
white, translucent and vitreous (impervious to water). Earthenware when
fired is white, opaque and porous.
Regarding casting, cleaning and firing, a skilled half doll artisan makes
sure their products are in the best condition as possible before painting.
A
consumer shouldn't have to buy shoddy work!"
|
SREBRAD: |
As a consumer, what should I be looking for to know I am
purchasing a quality doll? |
HELEN: |
Look for the half dolls to be properly cleaned and fired, especially
the bases. You don't want the porcelain too thick either. And of course
she
must be well painted.
 |
An example of porcelain that has been poured too thickly
and the bases not cleaned up well. |
 |
An example of the fine qualities you should look
for in a reproduction half doll. |
As my manufacturer friend says: "A doll that has been mass produced
at low
cost, is usually poorly cleaned, with mold seams still visible, has uneven
and streaky color application and facial features all askew, in all, just
like the antique half dolls made in Japan. OK, most of the German antiques
were mass produced too, but with some finesse about them. If you choose
a
well painted half doll for your craft project, then you will own a lovely
heirloom for the future."
Compare the painting and
finesse of these two
half dolls to the ones below.
While the painting is of fair quality
on these two half dolls, the
hair could be more subtle and the
facial features handled in
a more delicate manner. |
 |
 |
Whether a half doll is large or small,
the painting quality should be the same.
Larger half dolls will have more detail
while the smaller ones have slightly less.
Blushed cheeks should be soft and smooth.
Lips should be defined whether large or small.
Look for even coverage in the paint on the dresses. |
|
| SREBRAD: |
What are the price ranges that I would expect to pay for dolls? |
| HELEN: |
This is a hard question Brad because I believe all half doll prices
should be based on quality. Also reflected in the price are how many colors
used, size of the doll, etc. As you are aware all my half dolls are
handmade, hand painted and imported which is reflected in their price, too.
However, that doesn't mean half dolls locally produced are any less
expensive. Again, you go back to quality. You'll get what you pay for. |
| SREBRAD: |
One of the things that we are announcing today is the beginning
of an
an exclusive for our silkribbon mailing list members, an auction of one
of your half dolls.
Here is a picture of the lovely "LadyMadeline".
"Lady Madeline", approximately
4 1/2".
Note the holes in the bouquet for inserting ribbon flowers. Also note the
hole in the arm which lets the half doll hold a hat or a basket.
This half doll is featured in Helen's new ribbon book, Heirloom Ribbonwork
as a pincushion |
 |
Could you tell us little about this beauty?
|
| HELEN: |
This is the largest half doll (about 4 1/4" tall) that I offer on my
website, and the one that I chose to dress and decorate for a pincushion
project in my new ribbon book, Heirloom Ribbonwork. There are some
interesting elements on her that aren't usually found on reproduction half
dolls today. First there is a hole in the crook of her arm through which
a
ribbon or cord can be threaded. Dangling from this ribbon or cord could
be a
hat, a basket etc. In my new book I have made a small ribbon pincushion
bucket
and a ribbon needlebook. The other interesting feature is the posy with
the
holes in it. These holes can be filled with ribbon knot flowers or miniature
artificial flowers, giving the half doll a more three dimensional surface. |
| SREBRAD: |
I want to thank you very much for taking the time today to
tell
us the fascinating story behind half dolls.
 |
These antique half dolls, and many that are similar
to them can often be found in antique shops or on the internet. The half
doll on the left, back row, is on a wire frame and sports a dress with pockets
used to hold powder puffs. Next to her is a pincushion half doll about 90
years old. The undressed half dolls range in price from $35-$55, while the
two dressed
ones are about $85 each. |
For more information on Helen Gibb, please visit
her website at helengibb.com. |
