Hi Stephanie,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

This is a traditional Japanese doll, likely a geisha or maiko doll, with a signature stamp on its clothing. The stamp indicates the doll was made by a specific artist or workshop and translates to "Doll Maker Mizuho" but I'm not finding much online about who that might have been, where they were located or when they were in production. Based on your information, this probably dates to the mid 20th Century.

Such dolls -with unfired (bisque) porcelain heads and hands and stuffed cloth bodies - dressed in traditional costumes - were popular souvenirs for tourists and were usually made for the western/export market rather than for native (Japanese use).

When these dolls come to auction these days, they rarely sell for more than $50, though I can see some listed online for higher retail prices.

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