For sale is a late 1800s PORCELAIN FROZEN CHARLOTTE DOLL from Germany. This frozen Charlotte china dolls consists of an upper torso and head, with delicately painted face and molded brown hair. The white glazed face exhibits pale blue eyes and a low brow, with small features in the forehead, nose and lips. This doll is in excellent condition. The doll’s hairstyle is molded with a middle part and in a wavy short style, typified by dolls manufactured in the mid-nineteenth century. Glazed porcelain china head dolls are usually found on a wood, cloth or kid body. This china head doll has a canvas doll body which is probably filled with saw dust. This doll also has leather boots. This doll measures about 13 inches in length. A great historic antique toy.
The name of the doll originates from the American folk ballad Fair Charlotte, based on the 1843 poem “A Corpse Going to a Ball”. Allegedly. Maine writer Seba Smith was inspired by newspaper story about a young woman who froze to death in her carriage on the way to a ball because she did not want to cover up her pretty dress. Because of her vanity and refusal to listen to her parents, she froze to death.
Frozen Charlotte dolls ranged in size from under an inch to over 18 inches. The smallest dolls were sometimes used as charms in Christmas puddings and smaller sizes were very popular for putting in doll’s houses. Frozen Charlotte dolls were popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States. The dolls were affordable enough that children of the era could buy them with their own pocket money. Smaller versions of the dolls were also known as penny dolls, because they were often sold for a cent. Most of the dolls were made in Germany. Male dolls (identified by their boyish hairstyles) are called Frozen Charlies.
