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| Naila and Ari by Renate Hockh, artist dolls from the 1990s |
I don't remember what I was looking for when I found Naila and Ari on eBay. The auction had a beginning bid of $24.99, so I placed it in my eBay watch. I thought, "I know these are larger than I need and are really not typical of what I am adding to my doll family now, but for $24.99, they are worth watching."
Naila and Ari are marked 1992 and 1993, respectively (as incised on their napes). Representing Balinese children, they were sculpted by German doll artist, Renate Hockh, and are part of the Doll Children of the World series of Doll Makers Originals International. The dolls were made in a limited edition of 1000 each. Their numbers are 817 (Naila) and 532 (Ari). Naila measures 26 inches and Ari is 15 inches; they are usually described as being 27 and 16 inches tall.
I was the only bidder.
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| Naila by Renate Hockh |
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| Ari by Renate Hockh; he has the sweetest face. |
The dolls arrived pristine with their hang tags in place. These have been removed and stored with other dolls' certificates and hang tags. Naila came with her doll stand but Ari's original baby sling was missing (so I thought).
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This post had been in draft mode and named for quite some time prior to publishing. Some two weeks after drafting it, I still had the shipping box that contained the mounds of bubble wrap the seller used to protect the dolls during their travel. I needed to use some of the bubble wrap on a package that I shipped recently. Out with the bubble wrap fell Ari's baby sling. I was very surprised and happy that I had not discarded the bubble wrap or the box, which will eventually be broken down and recycled.
Having made themselves at home and after receiving warm welcomes from others in the doll family, below are Naila with Ari held as the artist intended.
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| Naila with Ari in baby sling |
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Ah yes this post reminds me of the fun taking apart my parcels. Lots of little stuff dropping out of random packing material make me smile.
ReplyDeleteI'm seldom worried that stuff will be missing - as I usually deal with American sellers. Infact a number of people that make stuff for me usually enclose MORE than what the transaction entitled me to. I was offered a doll stand when I got the 20+ inch Victorian doll (which I declined since I made improvised shoes that let her stand safely) and lots and lots of tiny pillows from a pillow seamstress.
Not only do I enjoy good customer service in the annual 'doll and pillow trade', I often get to make friends with the sellers themselves and help start up mail order businesses in new markets.
One of the 'pillow sellers' started a fragrance and interior design business after a few years of selling stuff to me, and dealing with her is always a joy.
What expressive faces!
ReplyDeleteThese are very nice dolls and they look great in the doll room. Is that a Baby Chrissy I see in the background. I am always in fear of leaving something in the boxes. One time I'd forgotten that I ordered more than one thing and found it in the box a short time later. I'm so glad you found that sling. It makes the set even more special.
ReplyDeleteThanks guy and ladies.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy great customer service, too Carmen, but the sling was not something extra the seller sent. The dolls are supposed to have it. I just assumed (incorrectly) that the seller did not have it.
Paulette - They do have expressive faces. I never liked the shape of Naila's face (still don't) but I think their eyes are very expressive, especially Ari's. I couldn't pass them up for the final auction price.
Vanessa yes, there are two Baby Crissy dolls in the last picture. The one on the left, whose head is only visible behind Naila, is the 1980s reproduced one sold through Sears catalogue. The one on the right is the original one from 1973.
You've got a sharp eye.
Debbie
I had a similar experience with my first 'big doll' order. Lots of little accessories were scattered around the huge volume of packing material making it an adventure to decide if stuff went missing during shipping :)
DeleteI have a box and packaging fetish. I break those things down as low as they can go and then shake 'em for good measure. Why did you hold the post back? Were you gonna say something about not getting the sling and then BEHOLD you found it?
ReplyDeleteHi Muff,
DeleteI often write a post several days before I actually publish it. When the thought hits me, I write, and leave the piece in draft mode until the proofing has been completed and the photos have been taken and uploaded. Often the photos are added right before publishing.
In this instance, I was inspired to write the first draft after seeing someone's picture of their dolls with Ari in his sling. This was a couple of weeks after my dolls arrived in late January. Before seeing that person's photo, I didn't even know there was supposed to be a sling. So their picture inspired me to begin writing the first draft. I left it in draft mode because I hadn't taken the time to photograph the dolls. Since "I thought" the sling was missing, I had already written the title. I could have changed that before publishing, but decided to leave the title and delete what I had written about my plans to fashion a sling for Ari because his was missing.
dbg
And I still haven't broken that 33-inch tall box down. It's in the corner of the doll room. I'll get to it. The bubble wrap, I'll keep it. It has to be folded and placed in a storage bin after the box is broken down. So I would have eventually found the sling, but had it not been for the package that I mailed out last week, it would have taken me longer to discover it.
Deletedbg
can you provide the measurements of the baby sling? i too have the dolls but mine didn't come with the sling
ReplyDeleteGreat question AAtika!
ReplyDeleteThe measurements as well as additional photos of Ari and his sling are shared on a new blog post here.
dbg