Kathe Kruse Dolls - Lovingly Kept, Ready for a New Home...
6th June 2025
Kathe Kruse didn’t start out as a toymaker, but she was an actress and mother who couldn’t find a doll she liked for her daughter. Frustrated by the lifeless porcelain dolls of the early 1900s, she started making her own. What began at home soon became global.
Each doll was meticulously hand-crafted, and Kruse insisted that even as production grew, the human touch remained central. Her workshop never embraced mass production in the modern sense, which is part of why her early dolls are so collectible today.
Once cherished playmates in a child’s nursery, these two Kathe Kruse dolls have aged gracefully into history, and now they’re ready for their next chapter.
Lot 605, meet the boy: 50cm tall, with painted features and jointed legs, his feet carefully marked “Kathe Kruse, 8447, Foreign.” He’s sturdy, serious, and carries a timeless charm.
And the girl, 34cm, a little smaller, perhaps a little livelier. Swivel head, jointed legs, marked “4896 Kathe Kruse.” She even comes with a sweet pair of shoes, numbered 1436.
Together, they’ve been well-loved, well-kept, and are accompanied by a book chronicling the story of Kathe Kruse, the pioneering German toymaker who believed dolls should feel like real children.
Estimated at £400 - £600
Find them in our Fine Art Sale next week, taking place on 10th & 11th June
Enquires for this particular lot, please get in touch with Simon Jones - simon.jones@lawrences.co.uk
