The Knightsbridge auction conducted by Bonhams on September 24 saw the creation of a new world record for the most expensive doll. The honor now goes to a rare German Kämmer & Reinhardt character doll which fetched £242,500 which is equivalent to $395,750 at current exchange rates. The new record was welcomed with a round of applause as the hammer went down on the winning bid. The exquisitely crafted doll is so detailed in its finishing that it looks lifelike. The doll has the likeness of a little girl with plaited auburn hair and blue gray eyes. The doll is dressed in a white dress with lace sleeves. It is embellished with a powder blue ribbon which is close to the color of the doll’s eyes.
The doll also has a delicate straw sitting on top of her plaited hair. The doll features pierced ears that makes it look real. The doll is that of a small girl but the expression on her face is similar to an adult. The designer and the artist perhaps wanted to portray a real young lady from the 1909-1912 period. The doll is unique in the sense that there are no known piece which is similar in design and finish. It is most likely that this doll was actually an experimental mold and was never reproduced commercially.
The auction was very successful as not only the most expensive doll but some other dolls on the block received aggressive bidding and fetched almost double of the pre sale estimates. There were two other Kämmer & Reinhardt character dolls in the auction that fetched top dollars. The dolls were designed by Berlin artist and professor Lewin-Funcke. One of them was made in porcelain which was dressed in snowy cotton outfit. It features light tan shoulder length hair and is believed to be molded on one of Lewin-Funcke’s four daughters. It fetched $280,000 much above the estimates made before the auction. The other doll of a little boy molded on Lewin-Funcke’s son Heinz Burkowitz fetched as much as 188,000.
Via: news.artnet
