Antiques: Inuit doll is an ethnological record

Published Jul 10, 2023  •  3 minute read

Inuit doll. Photo by Supplied

Q  My Mother gave me this doll she received from her doctor brother who was posted in the North of Canada during World War Two. It is perfect including the solid wooden head after all these years. It is 21.5 cm tall (8.5 inches) with a beaver fur jacket, seal skin pants and cotton and leather boots. Any information is much appreciated. I am preparing to pass it on to my daughter. Sincerely,

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Colleen, Ottawa

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 A  Some people consider an item like your doll to be a miniature ethnological record of the dress of the district where it was made. Apparently, the Inuit of Brooman Point Village, on Bathurst Island made the oldest dolls in Canada – about 1000 years ago. Because clothing was most important to survival, young girls learned how to cut and sew skins and fur by making dolls like yours. Ian Wright, Owner of The Snow Goose in Ottawa said this doll would retail in the store at $200 today. Your 80 year old artifact charmingly reflects on an ancient Canadian way of life.

Dressing table. Photo by Supplied

Q I have always loved this piece but wonder if its actual use was as a desk or   sideboard. It was owned by an elderly “honorary” family member who died in the early 1950s who suggested it was made by her father possibly in the last half of the 1800s. I couldn’t find any marks or labels. It measures 105 wide and 101 cm tall (41.5 x 40 inches). Several of the drawers have lock mechanisms. I’d really appreciate knowing what it is called and any info you may have. We are all originally from Saint John, New Brunswick. Thank you.

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Debby, Ottawa

A Your thoughts are sound and the short answer is a dressing table. The many drawers and locks would safely store valuable necessities. And your Saint John family roots suggest local cabinetmakers. The kneehole, found in desks and sideboards, along with the book-matched figured mahogany suggests the fine workshop of Alexander Lawrence, who began in the 1820s in Saint John. His sons carried on which might tie in with your relative’s father. It will date to circa 1840. Check for a faint pencilled signature on the back and insides. For further research on New Brunswick cabinetmakers I suggest the Kings Landing Historical Settlement – a museum in New Brunswick. Anonymously its value is $1,250. With a strong attribution it will be fivefold.

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Porcelain nodder. Photo by Supplied

Q This little figurine has been in my family for a very long time.  Someone wrote on the inside of this figurine my uncle’s name, who died in 1917 in the battle of Passchendaele, Belgium. This makes me wonder if it was his as a child. The head on this little person bobs and he looks somewhat like a monk playing a small drum. He is 13 cm tall (5.25 inches). Traces of orange-coloured glue inside suggest some repair. Thank you. Best regards,

Diann, Kemptville, Ont. 

A You have a matt-finish bisque porcelain nodder in the form of a juggling mature child clown. The head is counterbalanced with the attached hidden teardrop-shaped weight. There appears to be an obscure mark underneath of Alfred Voigt AG of Sitzendorf, Germany – two brothers who produced decorative porcelain and figurines from 1850 to circa 1900 – many styled after early Meissen porcelain. It dates to the 1890s which coincides with your uncle as a child. It is nice that the repaired ceramic weight has been saved. Nodders are fun and constitute collections by the lucky few that have them. This is a rare example that is worth about $175 today. 

John Sewell is an antiques and fine art appraiser. To submit an item to his column, go to the ‘Contact John’ page at www.johnsewellantiques.ca. Please measure your piece, say when and how you got it, what you paid and list any identifying marks. A high-resolution jpeg photo must also be included. (Only email submissions accepted.)

* Appraisal values are estimates only.*

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