Handcrafted Wooden Baby Doll By Elisabeth Pongratz UPDATED LISTING
Item History & Price
** UPDATE**Following 2 questions about this baby’s ‘missing’ outer knitted clothes I am posting this update. The Pongratz babies sold commercially had knitted clothes, but I personally saw this doll new when my father brought him back from Elisabeth approximately 30 years ago and I can tell you that he never had any other clothing items. Dad bought him exactly as he was direct from Elisabeth Pongratz herself at the Nuremberg Toy Trade Fair. It’s possible he was a sample th...at she used to demonstrate the construction of the body. The special & unusual thing about this doll is the remarkable provenance - that he was one of the first dolls that Elisabeth displayed at Nuremberg (which was her gateway to the international market) and that my father, who as an international trade buyer had fantastic very early access to specialist wooden toys, saw him and his maker the very first time she appeared at Nuremberg. As such he is a very early example of her work, earlier than anything that would have ever been sold into the USA, and has direct provenance as one of Elisabeth’s own trade display dolls or samples. Dad’s company name was H E Wootton Sons and Co., if Pongratz has kept records she would be able to identify this doll both from a sale invoice and from the story - in other words she would likely remember my father and the purchase. ** END UPDATE**
This beautiful baby doll handmade by Elisabeth Pongratz is an early example of her incredible work. His hand inked serial number (B84283R, see pics) shows that he is early, c1988-9. He is 7 and a quarter inches or 18 mm long, wooden hand painted head, weighted cloth body, cotton two piece baby clothes and a beautiful cotton blanket with cotton crocheted lace border tagged , Pongratz’ (see pics).
He was purchased from Elisabeth Pongratz herself at the Nuremberg Trade Fair by my father, who was a specialist Australian importer of wooden toys. I cannot remember the exact year but it was the first time that Pongratz had appeared at the fair, as I remember my father coming back with this and one other doll and saying that it was a maker he had never seen before (he went to the Fair every year starting in about 1972). My father bought 3 dolls from Elisabeth over two years.
He was exhibited alongside a larger Pongratz doll (which I have listed separately) in an Australian national exhibition of contemporary wood design.
My father was a collector and especially loved this doll, and put him up on the wall by sitting him in a tiny antique chair which was hung on the wall. He sat there very happily for most of his life, getting no direct sun or shadow but a shady constant daylight exposure which has mellowed the tone of the wood beautifully. His complexion is beautifully even and his tone is neither yellowy nor brown but more like a natural tan on a person of Nordic origin!
See condition section above for details of all fabric.
This beautiful baby doll handmade by Elisabeth Pongratz is an early example of her incredible work. His hand inked serial number (B84283R, see pics) shows that he is early, c1988-9. He is 7 and a quarter inches or 18 mm long, wooden hand painted head, weighted cloth body, cotton two piece baby clothes and a beautiful cotton blanket with cotton crocheted lace border tagged , Pongratz’ (see pics).
He was purchased from Elisabeth Pongratz herself at the Nuremberg Trade Fair by my father, who was a specialist Australian importer of wooden toys. I cannot remember the exact year but it was the first time that Pongratz had appeared at the fair, as I remember my father coming back with this and one other doll and saying that it was a maker he had never seen before (he went to the Fair every year starting in about 1972). My father bought 3 dolls from Elisabeth over two years.
He was exhibited alongside a larger Pongratz doll (which I have listed separately) in an Australian national exhibition of contemporary wood design.
My father was a collector and especially loved this doll, and put him up on the wall by sitting him in a tiny antique chair which was hung on the wall. He sat there very happily for most of his life, getting no direct sun or shadow but a shady constant daylight exposure which has mellowed the tone of the wood beautifully. His complexion is beautifully even and his tone is neither yellowy nor brown but more like a natural tan on a person of Nordic origin!
See condition section above for details of all fabric.
