No. 29

Jennifer (Dianna Effner)

Modern Artist Doll

Details

Artist: Anna Miller
Type: Modern doll
Original sculpt: Dianna Effner 'Jennifer', Expressions mold
Height: 62 cm

About this doll

'Jennifer' has long blonde braids and wears a white lace dress trimmed with pink roses and ribbons. Anna Miller made her from 'Jennifer', a sculpt by the American doll artist Dianna Effner (Expressions mold); she shares only her name with No. 26, the Jennifer from a Vicki Hamilton sculpt.

The collection holds several dolls by Anna Miller. Beside faithful antique reproductions, the French SFBJ 301 'Joy' (No. 13), the Jumeau reproductions (Nos. 14 and 16), the Jumeau lady (No. 15), the German Mein Liebling (No. 10) and toddler 'Ruth' (No. 12) and a French bebe (No. 11), stand her modern dolls 'Giselle' (No. 17) and this one, so that the breadth of one artist's work can be compared.

Background

Antique reproduction and the modern doll use the same porcelain techniques but aim at different things. Reproduction seeks to bring back the face, painting and dress of an original made a century ago as faithfully as possible, down to a single stroke of the eyebrow and the depth of color on the cheek. The modern doll adds the maker's own interpretation to a contemporary sculpt, with realistic eyes, natural skin tones and today's clothes.

Effner's 'Jennifer' is a child sculpt noted for its longer neck, issued in 25-, 18- and 15-inch sizes. Effner (1945-2020) founded Expressions with her husband in Missouri and pioneered artist-designed molds for hobby dollmakers; 'Emily', No. 19 in this collection, is also her sculpt.

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