Monthly Archives: February 2009
Netsuke Miniature Sculptures of Japan
| February 28, 2009 | Posted by admin under Miniature Dolls & Playsets |
Netsuke were miniature sculptures for use as toggles in traditional Japanese dress. They were attached to the obi (sash) around a kimono, from which hung a pouch, pipe case, or series of boxes on a cord. Produced from the 16th century, netsuke were carved from ivory, bone, or wood in many shapes, including peasants, gods,…
Simon & Halbig Dolls
| February 18, 2009 | Posted by gems78 under Dolls |
Simon & Halbig began making dolls in the 1869 and production soon became prolific. They made many china and bisque dolls themselves and also supplied dolls’ heads, often with fine wigs, to the French Jumeau factory and Kammer & Reinhardt. Kammer & Reinhardt bought Simon & Halbig in 1920. Simon & Halbig dolls are fully…
Gebruder Heubach Dolls
| February 18, 2009 | Posted by admin under Dolls |
The Heubach brothers concentrated their porcelain factory production on figurines and doll’s heads from about 1840. In about 1910, the factory began to produce whole dolls. They used artists and sculptures from a local art school to work on the dolls’ heads and create their high-quality realistic and amusing character dolls. The skill, attention to…
Toy Trains
| February 4, 2009 | Posted by gems78 under Trains & Train Sets |
Railroading remains an important collecting field to children of all ages, largely because of the ‘days-gone-by’ romance associated with the rail travel and the prominence of toy trains. The first toy trains were cast iron and tin; wind-up motors added movement. The golden age of toy trains was 1920 to 1955, when electric-powered units and…
Antique and Collectible Toys
| February 1, 2009 | Posted by gems78 under Collectibles |
Is this the most valuable action figure on the planet? It’s known as the Kouros, a figure of ivory and gold that was uncovered in the Greek city of Palaikastro, on the island of Crete. Thought to be a product of Minoan Civilization at its peak (c.1500 B.C.), the figure was adorned with eyes of…
