How to Identify Kewpie Dolls
What are Kewpie dolls?
Kewpie dolls are created by the talented illustrator, artist and author Rose O’Neill. They were first manufactured in 1912 in Germany, based on O’Neill’s illustrations of the dolls in the Ladies Home Journal. Kewpies have enjoyed much popularity for the last 100 years, and are still in production by multiple companies up to this date.
Different Shapes and Sizes of the Kewpie doll
Kewpies have been produced in various sizes imaginable. It can go as tiny as an inch tall to well over 3 ft. in height.
Types of Kewpie Dolls
The earliest antique Kewpie dolls are those made of bisque, and were made in a tiny German town known for its toy manufacturers. After that, bisque was replaced with celluloid. Later on, Kewpies were mass produced in vinyl by the Charisma Company.
Aside from this, the dolls have also been produced in unique materials such as paper, wood, soap and Wedgwood, making it a fun doll to collect.
About the Founder and the Company
The brainchild came from Rose O’Neill, a business woman, talented author, illustrator, sculptor and all around artist. The doll was based on her drawings and illustrations of her baby brother. The doll was a huge hit, and his image has since appeared in several items including greeting cards, postcards, paper dolls, plates, cups, salt and pepper shakers and more.
Kestner, the German doll manufacturer was the original producer of the dolls. Modern makers of the Kewpie include: Cameo Company, R. John Wright, etc.
Kewpies as a Collection
Doll lovers and vintage enthusiasts alike have long collected antique and vintage Kewpies for enjoyment. Most of the dolls however, do not have the indication of its company manufacturer, making it hard to identify whether it’s original or not. This is because at the same time the German toy manufacturers started to produce these dolls, Japanese companies were producing bisque knock offs without official licenses.
How can you identify if the Kewpie is an original or not? Most of the early dolls are unmarked; some have an ‘O’Neill’ on the foot’s sole or has a paper red heart label. Sometimes, the dolls are marked with ‘Made in Germany’. Most vinyl dolls, however, are marked with the name of its manufacturer.
The most expensive dolls are the first dolls, made of Bisque, standing straight with the arms jointed. Dolls with unusual features like glass eyes, action poses and jointed legs also come at a huge price.
The dolls can fetch for a hundred dollars, and others more. You can search online for sellers of the well loved doll. Invest a lot to see your collection grow into something huge and envy worthy.
