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Fine Pair Door of Hope Mission Dolls: Bride and Groom browse these categories for related items... All Items: Vintage Arts:Regional Art:Asian:Chinese: Pre 1930: item # 953690 Please refer to our stock # DJ-001 when inquiring.
B & C Antiques P. O. Box 291 Derby, CT 06418 203-929-7312 Guest Book $4,200 for Pair. Please Inquire for Availability. |
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Always among the most coveted and valuable of the Chinese “Door of Hope” mission dolls are the Bride and Bridegroom. This pair, in incredibly pristine condition, dates to ca. 1930. Both dolls have finely carved pear wood heads and hands, carved and painted black eyes, closed smiling mouths and well-detailed carved ears. The bride is dressed in a red silk pao top, all hand embroidered with flowers and gold trim. The underside of the back of the Bride’s pao top still retains the original “Kimport Dolls” export tag, which is rare (?). The side-pleated red silk skirt is also embroidered with flowers, and hanging from her waist are long pink and blue beaded silk tassels. Under her wedding finery, she wears cotton trousers and a coordinating silk jacket. Her elaborate red silk headdress is decorated with pearls and colored beads and topped with a fur ball or pompom. This Later Bride did not wear a veil and her feet were not bound. A red handkerchief with an embroidered edge is held in her right hand. Her painted hair is carved in a single bun in back surrounded with flowers. The Bridegroom is dressed in a long plum colored silk Mandarin robe with deep side seam slits. A “mandarin square” is embroidered in the front and center back. The robe opens down the center front through the square. He wears silk leggings underneath that are tucked into black cloth boots. He wears a black silk “pill box” shaped hat with a red tassel on top. Door of Hope dolls have become highly collectible treasures, in part, because of their fascinating history. In 1900, five missionary ladies started the Door of Hope Mission in Shanghai. They opened schools for destitute young girls so they could learn to support themselves. As a means to learn sewing skills, the girls dressed dolls. These beautifully created and utterly different dolls are magnificent in their carvings and costuming. Heads and hands were carved from Chinese “Niponga wood” or pear wood, a light colored hardwood that is tough and difficult to carve. In its natural color it resembles the ivory of the Chinese skin. Touches of paint were then added for the lips, eyes and hair. The dolls were supplied by craftsmen skilled in wood carving and then meticulously dressed in Chinese clothing with amazing detail by the young girls. Frog closures, tiny undergarments and minute embroideries all accented these wonderful garments. Each girl could dress only about one doll a month, and the relatively low volume of production of these dolls has increased their scarcity. Production of Door of Hope dolls continued until the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in 1937, at which time most of the estimated total production of 20,000 Door of Hope dolls had already been made. There were approximately 26 standard characters representing differing Chinese social classes. The Bride and Bridegroom, which were at the top of the hierarchy, have always been the most expensive of all the Door of Hope doll characters. This is a unique opportunity to acquire a very rare pair considering their pristine condition. CONDITION is like new because these dolls have been stored in a covered box since the 1930’s. DIMENSIONS: Bride is 11 ½” (29.2 cm) high; groom is 12” (30.2 cm) high. |
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