Figurine - Porcelain half-doll pincushion - Porcelain, Textile, Feathers

Rare c.1920 Art Deco Porcelain Half Doll – Large Green Velvet Pincushion – 18.5cm

Auction description

An exceptionally attractive and unusual circa 1920 Art Deco porcelain half doll pincushion, surviving as a complete decorative piece with its original-style large green velvet cushion and matching velvet bodice.

The porcelain figure depicts an elegant fashionable lady with short waved hair, finely painted facial features and a wonderfully theatrical pose. One arm is raised to her hair while the other is held gracefully across her body. She wears a dramatic black feather/feather-effect collar or boa, giving the figure a distinctly 1920s appearance.

Unlike the many loose porcelain half dolls found today, this example remains incorporated into a large, fully formed pincushion, the deep olive/forest-green velvet forming an impressive full skirt. Long decorative hatpins shown in the photographs complement the piece beautifully.

Measurements: porcelain doll approximately 9.5 cm high; overall height approximately 18.5 cm; approximately 13 cm wide × 13 cm deep.

The piece is in excellent antique condition for its age. The porcelain appears very well preserved, with no obvious chips, cracks or repairs.. The velvet also presents remarkably well considering its age, with only minor age-related wear, dust/lint and variations to the pile consistent with an antique textile. The delicate feather decoration naturally shows some age.

Dating approximately to the 1920s, this is a particularly decorative and less commonly encountered example of a complete period half-doll pincushion and would make an excellent addition to a collection of antique half dolls, Art Deco boudoir accessories, sewing collectables or early 20th-century decorative porcelain.

Condition: Excellent antique condition. Please study all photographs carefully as these form an important part of the condition description.