Hi Mike,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

According to Dawn Herlocher's "Doll Makers & Marks, A Guide to Identification," The Leonardo Collection dolls were produced under the British giftware brand Lesser & Pavey, a company founded in England in 1971. Their “The Leonardo Collection” line was introduced in 1977 and became especially popular during the collectible boom of the 1980s and 1990s.

The brand made a wide range of decorative collectibles — porcelain dolls, figurines, fairies, angels, plates, and giftware — usually sold in gift shops, Hallmark stores, and department stores rather than traditional toy stores. Many of the dolls were manufactured in Asia (primarily China) for the British and European gift market, then distributed internationally under the Leonardo Collection name.

Some collectors have speculated that this doll was inspired by Catherine of Aragon, but her dress is less Tudor and more generically Elizabethan (who came after Catherine of Aragon).

While some retailers are offering other Leonardo Collection Catherine dolls in original packaging and with certificates, for around $100, when they come to auction, they usually sell in the range of $20-40 (dolls without the certificate of authentication usually bring between $5 and $15).

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

A near vintage Leonardo Collection "Catherine" doll
made by Lesser & Pavey, England, late 20th Century
In original packaging
doll: 10 inches tall in a box 11 inches tall x 6-1/2 inches wide
CONDITION: This doll appears to be in very good condition
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$20-40*
*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