Hi B.C.,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

Many German doll makers made bisque (unglazed fired porcelain) heads for other doll makers, including Armand Marseille (Köppelsdorf), Simon & Halbig, Bahr & Proschild, Kämmer & Reinhardt and Gebrüder Heubach (Heubach Brothers, Sonneberg) among others.

There are a couple of "red flags" with this doll that will be detrimental towards its overall interest to collectors should you want to sell it (and will, therefore, affect what it's value is on the market). Firstly, the wig seems to be a not quite as well-fitting as they usually are and - because it is glued down - will be of concern. Secondly, while this might be marked underneath the wig, the fact that you can't read any maker's name will also be some cause for hesitation.

The features are quite well modeled and this is likely to be from some of the major makers but having to value it as an unattributed head points to a value between $50-100 as a fragment (most collectors only want intact dolls).

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

A vintage German bisque porcelain doll's head
unattributed maker, first half 20th Century
The brown-eyed brown-haired doll with braided wig, painted features, inscribed twice on the back of the neck "Made in Germany"
4 to 4-1/2 inches tall
CONDITION: This appears to be in good condition; wig is probably not original to the doll.
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$50-100*
*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