Music Dolls by Lorna Paris

Music Dolls, a.k.a. Music Box Dolls by Lorna Paris

I saw the photo of the above trio of 8-inch Lorna Paris music dolls after a former doll group member purchased them from Lorna at the 2007 Philadelphia (Philly) International Black Doll Show and Sale.  I fell in love with them and had to have one for myself.  I just had to.  I contacted Lorna by phone to see if she had any left, and she did!

This is the music doll I purchased for myself in 2007.  She has the sweetest face.  Each of them have the same music box in their bottoms which plays Brahms' Lullaby when the key is wound.  As the music plays, their heads sway from side to side.  They are made of cloth and all have hand-painted features, which makes each a one of a kind.  Their shoes are painted to match the color of their dresses or an appropriate color that complements the dress color.

Since 2007, my doll has had several temporary music doll sisters as I have commissioned Lorna to make additional ones as gifts for others.

My doll poses with another music doll that is dressed similarly, but their complexions differ.

Later in 2007, at my request, Lorna made the music doll shown on the right in the above photo.  She is now enjoying life in a Midwestern state of the United States.

My doll is joined in this photo by dolls wearing blue and yellow dresses.

Purchased in approximately 2009 for two other doll friends, the music dolls in the blue and yellow dresses left their sister doll to move to a western state and another state in the Midwest, respectively.

This is the most recently commissioned Lorna Paris music doll; she too wears blue, as I did not specify a color for her dress, leaving that up to Lorna.

My girl wanted to pose with the newly-created music doll before she departed to yet another Midwestern state.

This past June, I commissioned Lorna to make the above-shown music doll for another doll friend who recently received it for her birthday. Said friend had mentioned wanting another doll by Lorna but she did not have her contact information. Now she has another doll by Lorna and the artist's contact information. (I sent Lorna’s business card to her along with the doll).

In her new home, the latest music doll is joined by Sheria (a 10-1/2-inch leather doll by Lorna) from the 1990s.

After this friend received her doll, she shared the above picture with me and also shared it with Lorna (having her contact info now to do so).  Her original doll, Sheria, is one of Lorna's one-of-a-kind leather doll creations, purchased in 1994 at the Philly doll show.  In the doll community, Lorna is better known as a leather doll artist, but as illustrated by her lovely cloth music dolls, she works in cloth as well.

In 2011, Lorna made one-of-a-kind leather sister dolls for members of my online doll group.  Those dolls can be seen here.  She also makes leather doll pouches.  See more of Lorna's dolls and her other artwork in the photo album of her page on Facebook.


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