Porcelain Dolls

Boudoir Dolls

Boudoir dolls were extremely popular in the 1920’s to 1940’s.   They were larger dolls,  and never intended to be children’s playthings, but decorative ornaments to grace the boudoirs of stylish and sophisticated women everywhere!.   Many were made in the classic “Art Deco” style, (though the Nisbet dolls are all based on Victorian themes and costume).

7632 Louisa

(The Louis Nichole Collection)

Louisa is a Boudoir Doll, dressed in rich lace and silk, and was designed for the House of Nisbet by the American Interior Design expert, Louis Nichole.   She is 17 inches tall, (30 inches when dressed).  This example differs slightly from the model shown in the 1986 catalogue

The retail price of this doll was £99.95 in 1987

7635 Melanie

(The Crushed Velvet Collection)

Melanie is dressed in crushed velvet, accented with fine lace.   Like the other Boudoir Dolls, she has a Doulton bone china head and lower arms, on a stuffed cloth body.

The finish of the porcelain is not quite bisque – it has a slight glazed finish like the previous doll, Louisa

17 inches tall, (28 inches when dressed), she has a fine head of rich, curly hair, and remains one of our favourite Nisbet dolls.

Again, in 1987 this delightful doll retailed for an expensive £99.95!

7636 Caroline

(The Crushed Velvet Collection)

Caroline, like her sister doll Melanie, is dressed in crushed velvet, with rich lace accents.

Her fine bone china head and hands were made by Royal Doulton, and mounted on a stuffed cloth body, made and dressed by The House of Nisbet.   She is another beautiful example of the very successful collaboration of these companies, and is a much sought after collector’s item.  

In 1987, she was on sale for £99.95 – only a few models were available, the edition having closed.

News

21st September 2023

 

Important Announcement

 

My dear wife, Christine, passed away on the 8th December, 2021, after 8 weeks in hospital. I was by her side, when she slipped away from me peacefully, with no pain or suffering.

 

Chris had been struggling with a slow decline in health, associated with a progressive, untreatable, and ultimately terminal lung disease, and finally succumbed to her old adversary, Pneumonia.

 

We had been friends for 55 years, together as a couple for 50 years, and married just a month short of 48 years, when she died.   

 

This website was Chris's idea, and I did all the technical stuff, to make it work.   After news of Chris's passing reached her close friends in the doll collecting world, I was deeply touched and gratified to hear their tributes to my dear wife, and I must thank them all for their kindness and support.   Ultimately, it was her doll friends that gave me the courage to continue with the website.

 

In the months before her eventual hospitalisation, Chris had outlined a number of additions and changes she wanted to make to the website, and it is my intention to honour those wishes, and to implement the changes we had considered, over the coming weeks and months.

 

I must apologise to all those who have written to us via the website, only to have your emails go unanswered.   Unfortunately, the email system had been hacked aroung the time Chris was going into hospital, and many emails must have been lost, as a result.

 

As you might imagine, I felt completely broken by Chris's loss, and it is only now, almost 22 months after her passing, that I have felt strong enough to even look at the website again.   

 

My aim is to continue with the website, and to implement Chris's aims for her many new ideas as soon as I can.   In the meantime, I have hopefully got the email system sorted out, and I will attempt to answer any enquiries as soon as I can, and to send replies with the same high degree of accuracy that a reply from Chris would have had.

 

From now on, I will be flying solo, whilst my co-pilot and guide will be soaring much higher, (though she is always in my heart, and in my thoughts).

 

My thanks to all our website visitors for your continued support

 

Dave (also known as Arthur), and Chris, (my lost love, Guinevere)

 

Christine Poulten

25th December 1949 - 8th December 2021