Dolls from Germany Part 2

Ca. 1920s Koenig & Wernicke 134/16/0 character doll

In my previous post, I shared four dolls from Germany that I won in an online auction in November 2023. Three dolls needed care to restore them to a presentable state. I shared what was done to two of the three in the previous post. This post is dedicated to the restoration of the third doll, a Koenig & Wernicke #134/16/0 ca. 1920s character doll made of composition.

Before work began on this doll (as well as the others), I entered their information into my Excel Doll Inventory Workbook for 2023. The description cell of this doll's entry is copied below:

In addition to the damaged flirty-eye mechanism and missing lip color, this doll had several areas of missing paint in all five joints (the neck, both upper arms, and both upper legs). There was also missing paint on the torso and the back. The wig also needed to be restyled. Repairing the eye mechanism was the most challenging task.

The Eyes

Because of the bent metal eye mechanism, the doll's flirty eyes were improperly positioned in the head. The whites of the eyes were barely visible as a result.

All I wanted to do was properly reset the eyes, and if that meant they would be stationary and no longer flirty, so be it. 

The only way to access the eye mechanism was through the top of the doll's head. This required removing the wig and the pate that covered the doll's open crown. Both were glued on.

The wig and the pate that covered the doll's open crown are shown here after removal.

With access to the eye mechanism, I suitably positioned the eyes and initially applied purple Silly Putty to hold the mechanism in place. I have successfully used original, non-colored Silly Putty for various past doll repairs.

Purple Silly Putty

A Look Inside the Head

Silly Putty (temporarily) held the eye mechanism in place.

The Silly Putty, as indicated, held the eye mechanism in place, but after leaving the doll on my work table overnight, which is directly underneath an air-conditioner/heater vent, the heat from the vent melted the Silly Putty! I have never experienced this issue with non-colored Silly Putty. 

So, I removed as much of the melted purple gunk as possible, repositioned the eyes, and resorted to the next best thing to hold the mechanism in place—heavy-duty duct tape. Without permanently affixing the eyes with glue, the opportunity to restore the flirty-eye mechanism later remains possible.

In this photo, the eyes have been properly repositioned and made stationary inside the head with heavy-duty duct tape.

Painting

Before replacing the pate, restyling the wig, and regluing it onto the crown, I mixed black and brown acrylic paint to closely match the original color of the doll's painted complexion. Several coats of paint were used to cover the areas of missing paint. I also repainted the lips a more subtle red than they were originally. All painted areas were sealed with a satin finish varnish. 

The first coat of paint appears not to match but trust the process.

While painting and allowing the paint to dry in between layers, I placed wooden toothpicks between the joints and the body. This allowed access to all areas that needed painting and added space between the joints to prevent paint smears and smudges.

This is another photo after several layers of paint were applied and before the paint was sealed with varnish.

This photo illustrates the even color of the painted and varnished areas of the body and the new lip color.  (The wig has been replaced in this photo, which the next photos illustrate.) 

Restyling the Wig and Replacing the Pate and the Wig

After removing the wig, I spot-cleaned it with baby wipes to remove surface dirt. Next, finger combing, gently brushing, styling, and applying mousse to add sheen were done. 

The clean, restyled, and moussed wig

After restyling the wig and applying mousse, I placed a hairnet on the wig to hold the style in place. A glue bottle served as a wig stand while the wig dried overnight.

While the wig dried, I replaced the pate and allowed it to dry overnight. 

Aleene's Tacky Glue outlines the rim of the head opening in this picture.

The pate was placed on top of the glue on the head rim and held firmly in place for a few seconds before wrapping a thick rubber band around the top of the head and underneath the chin as illustrated in this photo and in the next two.

A rubber band held the glued-on pate in place until the glue dried.

She's almost ready to be rewigged.

While working on the wig and reattaching the pate, I found a pair of socks, a vintage pair of shoes, and bloomers for the doll to wear. 

A thick layer of Aleene's Tacky Glue was smeared on the pate.

 

With glue covering the pate, the wig was placed over the pate and gently held in place for a few seconds. A hairnet placed snugly over the wig held it in place while the glue dried.

The wig is adorned with the red ribbon bow that she arrived wearing. 

K&W 134/16/0 Before and After

This ca. 1920s doll of approximately 104 years is prepared to live for another century or more. 

All Four Dolls as They Were

All Four Dolls Now

I'm so glad they found me!

Dolls from Germany Post (Part 1)

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

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

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