Easter Decorations 2021

 I have started decorating for Easter. This year, I decided to incorporate some new dolls I have acquired over the past couple of months.

Look at that clown! He is a cloth doll made by Priscilla Arkoin, an artist and former member of Dollology who passed away March 2020. He is really something else. I fell in love when I first saw him. And then I was lucky enough to win him in a doll club raffle.

Standing next to him is an Annalee bunny ballerina, a Mid-Eastern doll (I think), and an Eastern European doll (most likely). These three dolls were part of the raffle lot that the clown was in.

I am at a loss at what country this little doll represents. I am guessing that it is some where like Greenland or another cold climate country.

The African doll is also from the same lot as the other dolls. The china doll is another story. She was given to me by a work friend. The friend's mother, who died about 9 years ago, made the doll in the 1970s. I have decide to name the doll Jennie, in honor of the friend.

This past year has been so stressful, that I have not been posting much recently. Hopefully I will get back in the posting groove soon.

Starting to Unpack

Unpacking and temporary staging of dolls has begun.

One shelf has been put up. On it (for now) are: Cinderella, Horsman Baby Denton, A Case of the Blues Ellowyne, Raph, Jenny, Julie, a Sam Kay baby, and Lost Angel Setsuna.

On the couch are: Duffy, Fuji San, Not Suzy, Dutch Ginny, unknown Madame Hendren, circus souvenir clown, Effenbee Mama Doll, my Hawaii souvenir, Genius Baby, Mini Cecile, and Snoopy.

Here are close ups of some of the dolls I have not featured before.

I See Clowns

I've mentioned before that I used to collect clown dolls. This is one of the ones that I kept after the "Great Clown Purge of 2006 (maybe)".

What I like about this guy from Show Stoppers is his simplicity. He reminds me of Marcel Marceau, the legendary mime, in his stripes and beret.

I found this attractive mime in the late 80s at a cart at the mall, Potomac Mills in Northern Virginia.

This was pretty much at the height of porcelain doll mania when all you had to do was turn around and you'd see new, mostly Victorian styled, dolls for sale.

He has a little flexibility in his arms so he can be posed, but he is meant to be a stationary doll.

I decided to talk about this guy today, because I saw a hilarious Ebay auction yesterday of another porcelain clown doll I used to own (also acquired in the 80s). 

Photo and text are blatantly stolen from the Ebay auction.

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL AND DELICATE HAND MADE FRENCH JESTER DOLL, IT WAS BOUGH IN PARIS RIGHT AFTER WORLD WAR II HOWEVER, IT WAS ALREADY AN ANTIQUE, THE STORY GOES THAT THIS IS THE SAME OUTFITJESTERS WORE IN MONTECRISTOS ERA.
HAND PAINTED POCELAIN FACE AND HANDS, SATIN SHIRT AND PANTS, MULTICOLOR VEST.
SEVEN BRASS BELLS ALL IN WORKING CONDITION.
UNIQUE ITEM FOR YOUR COLLECTION.
PERFECT CONDITION.
22 X 13 X 4 INCHES WITH HANDS OPEN.

I had to laugh (not even mentioning what the seller wants price wise). Heck, it might even be my old doll, I donated it to Goodwill with a bunch of other clowns. The downfall of this fella, versus the mime, is that the hat is too heavy to stay upright on the doll's head and the elastic around the hat and the pants degraded quickly. 

Just a little humor for today, after all, clowns are supposed to make you laugh.

Send in The Clowns (Again)

The summer between 10th and 11th grade (1987) I worked at Camp Happyland, first as a Jr. Counselor, and then as a Lifeguard. It was exciting to live away from home and to have a substantial paycheck. (Much more substantial than my previous job as a kitchen assistant for the local homeless shelter.)

One of our few camper free days was also the first Payday and trip to the local shopping mall day. I was determined to buy an awesome doll with my own cash. I wanted a Sasha, or an Effenbee John Wayne. My hopes were dashed. Sasha's were no longer produced, and John Wayne was right out. After morosely wandering and watching Beverly Hills Cop 2 with other staff, I entered the Hallmark and saw this sweet clown. I turned my smile upside down and purchased it.

This is "Taffy", a Precious Moments Doll produced by the Jonathan & David Corporation of the Philippines in 1985 (one of the first 10 dolls produced by the company - according to their website). The clown is 16 inches tall with a cloth body and a vinyl head and limbs.

Circus Clown

In 1974, I went to the circus with my father, my brother, and his Indian guides tribe. It was amazing. To a 3 year old child, the circus is full of wonder and magic. My dad let me pick out a souvenir and I picked out this clown. 

He was attached by a rubber band to a dowel, so that he bounced up and down when the stick was carried. His has jointed arms and legs that sway back and forth. The stick and elastic are long gone, but the clown itself is in great shape.

His right hand is no longer firmly attached to its arm, though a little hot glue or putty in the arm would take care of that.

As I grew older, I started to collect clowns and clown dolls. At one point in my teens I even had clown bedding! At this point, except for a few favorites, I no longer collect clowns. I have found my doll interest turning to dolls from the 60s and 70s, especially ones that I can dress.