Johnna Art Doll By Barbara Buysse

A Johnna Art Doll by Barbara Buysse

(To listen to a narration of this post, click the play arrow.)

 

For years, I wanted to add a Johnna Art Doll by Barbara Buysse to my collection. I recall contacting the artist several years after she retired to ask if she was still making dolls. I wanted to commission her to make one for me or purchase one if she had one available. I had no luck. Ms. Buysse informed me that she was no longer making dolls and that she began making them to help fund her daughter's college education. I believe she also shared that her daughter's name is Johnna. 

Recently, I saved "Johnna Art Dolls by Barbara Buysse" as an eBay search. A few showed up sporadically, but their prices were far beyond what I am willing to pay for dolls today. In the past, I would have snapped one up without a second thought. I passed on the others because I know if it's for me I'll have it if I exercise patience, and I'll have it at a price I am willing t pay.

He is 12 inches tall and wears "distressed" clothing and shoes.

A couple of weeks ago, I received a notification from eBay about this crying boy's auction. When I saw the price, I knew he would be mine. The buy-it-now price was quite reasonable, but there was a make-offer feature, so I made a reasonable offer which the seller accepted.  

The package arrived swiftly. I kept him boxed for about a week before opening the box... not for pandemic safety like I've done in the past, but because I've been so busy with other projects. I did spray Lysol on the outside of the box. I haven't stopped doing that. 

This past Sunday (April 2, 2023), I opened the box and fell even more in love with this little guy. I've entered him in my 2023 Excel spreadsheet as the last doll purchase for March as follows:

From the copied spreadsheet entry above, I omitted the price I paid and the seller's buy-it-now price. 

View additional photos below.

From the front, his face looks three-dimensional; however, this profile view reveals his flat face and attached cloth ears.

He wears an oversized "aged" white sweater.

His hair is sculpted and painted black.

The dirt and scuffs on his sneakers indicate he has been playing hard or maybe that they are hand-me-downs.

A "Johnna Art Dolls" cloth label is on the back of his "distressed" light-blue overalls.

The artist's signature and the year this little one was made are written on the doll's back.

View DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum entry for other Barbara Buysee dolls owned by another collector who graciously shared her photos and the dolls' information with the museum. 

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

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