Among Friends, The Billie and Paige Welker Collection

The rarest German bisque art characters, gorgeous French bébés and their costumes, French poupées and trousseaux, American cloth and paper mache folk dolls of the highest order, many bearing blue ribbon presentation awards, were among the treasures sought and perfectly preserved by the prescient North Carolina couple. Coupling good taste with a passion for the curious and unique, the Welkers assembled a perfectly blended selection of antique childhood dolls. Disparate yet harmonious genres are united by common threads of rarity and artistry. The tearful-eyed Leo Moss boy seems in accord with Kammer and Reinhardt’s 107 wistful lad from across the waters, while the bisque mystery lady with pronounced nose, her beautiful complexion belying the age she represents, surely would enjoy an afternoon social with the distinguished lady doll created by Leo Moss. There are the elegant and refined (French bébés by Thuillier, Schmitt, Bru, and Halopeau) and there are the down-home but equally artistic dolls of Maggie and Bessie Pfohl, Izannah Walker, and Martha Chase.  Also to be offered at the auction is the Mary Sicard collection of Door of Hope dolls, the rarest of the rare from that group, a delightful collection of early hand-made paper dolls, and a wonderful illustrated voluminous correspondence from Rose O’Neill to a family friend, and a plethora of other rare and singular objects so sought after by collectors.160 pages, 10" x 10", hardbound, commemorative catalog with prices realized. BT-321