Antique Wax Head “Pumpkin Head” Doll with Original Dress c.1870

Regular price: £295.00
Sale price: £295.00
Regular price

This is an antique wax head doll, commonly known as a “pumpkin head”, dating to around 1870. The solid wax head with softly modelled features and painted hair is characteristic of late 19th-century wax dolls, produced before the widespread use of composition and bisque. The doll has a traditional cloth torso with carved wooden lower arms, hands, lower legs and feet, a construction typical of wax head dolls of this period. It retains its original cotton and lace dress, a significant survival for an object of this age. Wax dolls were inherently fragile, and complete examples are now scarce; this is an honest, untouched survivor with strong period character, suitable for a serious doll collector or museum-style interior display.

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Size/Dimensions

H: 48cm

Condition

Very good antique condition consistent with age. The wax head shows surface wear, rubbing, fine cracking, and a small loss to the nose. The wooden lower arms and hands show wear, with losses to fingers. The wooden lower legs and feet show surface wear consistent with use. The cloth body shows age-related wear and discolouration. The original dress is fragile, with staining, thinning, and wear to lace and fabric, all expected for a late 19th-century textile. No evidence of modern restoration.

Victorian, circa 1870