Bisque Dolls

Bisque dolls are dolls made of unglazed porcelain. The porcelain is made from a mixture of clay and water that is molded into doll parts, then fired. Most of the time, color is added to the bisque to make the doll's skin color appear more realistic. Sometimes, the bisque is left white. Dolls with this white bisque skin tone are sometimes referred to as parian dolls.

Bisque dolls were first created in France in the 1860s. These dolls gained popularity throughout the later 1800s until they were the primary type of doll produced in the early 1900s. Early bisque dolls were made in France, then production moved to Germany in the 1880s and 1890s. The United States took over the lead in production of bisque dolls in the early 1900s. Bisque dolls faded in popularity when less-expensive composition became the primary doll material used. However, bisque dolls enjoyed a renewed popularity in the '80s when collector dolls became popular. Contemporary bisque dolls are almost exclusively manufactured in China.

Dolls are considered to be bisque if the head is made of bisque. Most vintage bisque dolls have bodies and limbs made of other materials, since all-bisque dolls are very heavy. Today, bisque dolls are produced primarily for the collectors' market.

Quick Facts

• Some of the more well-known makers of antique bisque dolls include Kestner, Kammer & Reinhardt, Armand Marseilles, Jumeau, and Steiner
• Small all-bisque dolls were produced from the late 1800s until about 1930. These dolls were known as penny dolls
• Many of the bisque dolls produced by French doll makers were fashion dolls. These dolls were made in the form of adult women and were produced to advertise the fashions of the day