Also referred to as a bisque doll, porcelain dolls are made partially or wholly from biscuit porcelain and are known for their realistic matte finish. Popular between 1860 and 1900, porcelain dolls were made as children’s toys but as the years have gone by, collectors have joined the search for rare porcelain dolls.
19th-century French and German dolls have become very valuable to collectors, in addition to the special edition porcelain dolls made today exclusively for collecting. While some use the terms porcelain doll, bisque doll, and china doll colloquially, collectors often separate these terms into different categories. For instance, when discussing antique dolls, china dolls are made of glazed porcelain while bisque dolls are made from unglazed porcelain.
If you’ve ever had a soft spot for rare porcelain dolls or want to start collecting them, watch out for these six dolls. Not only are they the most rare, but they are worth tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars if you can find one in decent shape. Read more about these dolls here.
6. Marina Bychkova Enchanted Doll, $76,500
More a piece of art than a plaything is our sixth selection for rare porcelain dolls, Marina Bychkova’s Enchanted Doll. Created by Russian-Canadian doll maker Marina Bychkova, these dolls are highly realistic and draped in costumes of precious metals, gemstones, and rare found objects. Each doll is meant to portray an aspect of humanity, whether it be innocence or provocativeness.
Bychkova’s dolls usually sell for tens of thousands each, but the most expensive one sold for $76,500 on eBay. Draped in silver tulle and intricate embroidery, the Enchanted Doll is a diamond for your porcelain doll collection.
5. 26-Inch French Bisque Art Character 225 Jumeau, $113,500
Fifth on our list of rare porcelain dolls is a 26-inch French doll by Jumeau. The French company was founded in the early 1840s, designing high-quality bisque dolls for nearly 100 years. Jumeau was founded by Louis-Desire Belont and Pierre-François Jumeau near Paris, France, and quickly gained a reputation for dolls with beautiful faces and elegant clothing. Collectors today will pay lots of money for mint-condition dolls.
The 26-inch French doll is clad in a designer costume and carries a parasol in a delicate pink color. She is rare because of her owner, who was celebrated doll collector Huguette Clark. This possibly helped the doll reach her impressive value of $113,500 in January 2020 at an auction.
4. 22-Inch Albert Marque French Bisque Art Character, $160,000
Ranking fourth on our rare porcelain dolls list is the 22-inch French Bisque Art Character doll created by Albert Marque. During World War I, Marque was convinced by the Parisian fashion house Jeanne Margaine-Lacroix to sculpt 100 fashion dolls with custom-made outfits. Exhibited in Paris in 1915, they have now become known as “A. Marque” dolls and are quite valuable to doll collectors.
The French Bisque doll has a head made from four pieces, with blue glass eyes, painted lashes and brows, and accented lips. The most intriguing part about her is her body shape with narrow shoulders and broad hips. Her red wool dress and satin blouse only increased her value, which was $160,000 at auction.
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3. 22-Inch Albert Marque French Doll, $300,000
While some rare porcelain dolls are coveted due to their clothing or production date, others are valuable because of the creator. Similar to our fourth selection, this 22-inch French doll was made by Albert Marque. Regarded as one of the finest craftsmen of dolls, he only created around 100 renditions of this model. Based on the inscription on the doll’s head, our third-rarest porcelain doll was number 27.
The French doll’s body was crafted by Aristodeme Botta, realistically depicting a young child. The doll is clothed in a couturier costume and spent nearly 50 years in a Swiss museum before hitting the market in 2014, setting a world record at that time when he sold for $300,000.
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2. 25-Inch Kämmer & Reinhardt 108 Bisque Character Doll, $308,000
Not even a full year after the Marque French doll broke the world record, this German Bisque Character doll broke the new record with a sale of $308,000 in 2014. The doll is 25 inches tall and was made by Kämmer & Reinhardt, a doll company founded in 1886 by Erst Kämmer and Franz Reinhardt.
The German Bisque doll has an exceptionally detailed face, with blue-grey eyes, red dots in the corner, white dots for reflection, and painted eyelids. Her slight smile and auburn hair give her a demure look, completed by her white dress with lace cuffs and a blue sash, white petticoat, bloomers, and a straw hat.
1. Antoine Edmund Rochard Doll, $335,000
Taking the number one spot on our rare porcelain dolls list is the 19th-century Antoine Edmund Rochard Doll. Prized for their rarity, Antoine Edmund Rochard’s dolls were crafted with the utmost detailing and costumes, making them truly one-of-a-kind. This is especially true for this French doll, whose lips are parted to reveal a kaleidoscope effect if you peered inside.
The doll is dressed in a golden dress and necklace with 28 crystals, each of them holding microscopic images of French scenes. She holds the current world record for the highest price of a porcelain doll, sold for $335,000 at a 2018 auction. There are very few dolls by Antoine Edmund Rochard left in the world, so if another one comes on the market, they may find their place on this rare porcelain dolls list too.
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