Hi John and Marlene,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

China dolls are a type of ceramic doll with glazed porcelain heads, typically with painted facial features and molded hair, paired with cloth or leather bodies. They were most popular during the mid-19th century and are rarely signed or marked, making it difficult to specifically pinpoint who made them. Eventually, doll makers - most notably those in France and Germany - turned to making doll heads out of bisque (unglazed) porcelain and attaching them to cloth or composition (a mixture of sawdust and glue) - and China dolls became outdated.

In the current market, unless China dolls come with considerable provenance, they rarely bring more than $100-150 for the larger ones (20 inches or more), with smaller dolls selling for less than that. The fact that your doll has breaks to the shoulders and is missing one of its hands *does* diminish it's value, now $50-75.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

An antique China doll
American or European, mid to late-19th Century
With painted and glazed porcelain head wearing a plaid wool walking dress with black front . Unsigned.
13 inches long
CONDITION: This doll appears to be in fair to poor all-original condition, with breaks to the head and missing one hand.
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$ 50-75*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia