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DECEMBER 5, 2020 AT T H E R I AU LT ’ S S T U DI O I N A N NA P O L I S, M D x Au c t i o n 1 1 A M E S T
“The Doll as Theatre”
A Cataloged Marquis Auction of Neapolitan and Continental Dolls of the 17th and 18th Century from the Hanne Büktas Collection
the dollmasters PO Box 151 • Annapolis, Maryland 21404 Tel: 410-224-3655 • Fax: 410-224-2515 Follow @theriaultsdolls • theriaults.com
Call 410-224-3655 to order the full-color catalogs. Live internet, telephone, and absentee bidding are available.
Saturday, December 5, 2020
at Theriault’s Studio in Annapolis, Maryland The Auction Begins at 11AM Eastern
“THE DOLL AS THEATRE” — A CATALOGED MARQUIS AUCTION OF NEAPOLITAN DOLLS
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he celebrated Hanne Büktas collection of rare 18th century Neapolitan dolls will come to auction by Theriault’s of Annapolis, Maryland on Saturday, December 5, in an important auction titled “The Doll as Theatre, Neapolitan and Continental Dolls of the 18th Century”. Classic figures of the Neapolitan scene are featured including an extraordinary trio of Caspar, Balthazar and Melchior in royal robes astride their decorated horses, as well as other royalty, aristocratic men and women from the fashionable salons of 1700s-era Naples, village people from the markets, shops and taverns including delightful children, and peasant peoples from the countryside. Too, the collection includes very sought-after, rarely found, accessories such as horses, cows, lambs, and dogs, as well as furnishings, rare baskets of modeled food, embroideries and more. As studies into this field continue, more and more documentation is being uncovered concerning the artists of the highly-characterized dolls. The collection includes a number of very rare examples attributed to celebrated sculptors of 18th century Naples including Giuseppe Sanmartino, Francesco Celebrano and Lorenzo Mosca. Cataloguer Florence Theriault of Theriault’s notes, “Although the pieces were rarely signed, newly-uncovered documentation as well as style comparisons with those pieces which were signed allows us to attribute some of these works”.
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The auction will be conducted live online with live audio and video feed allowing each object to be shown in close detail as it comes to the podium. A free color brochure is available on request now and a full color 244-page catalog with detailed photographs of each item is available for $75 softbound or $105 hardbound. Video presentations of the collection narrated by Florence Theriault are also available for viewing after November 15 on Theriault’s YouTube channel. There are many options for bidding including traditional absentee bidding, live telephone bidding, live internet bidding, and prebidding on internet. Collectors are invited to telephone Theriault’s customer service at 410-224-3655, email info@theriaults.com or visit www.theriaults.com for additional information or to order catalogs. Appointments can also be made to remotely view specific lots prior to the auction. The auction contains over 350 choices. A second session of the Hanne Büktas Collection will take place March 6, 2021. A twovolume set of the auction catalogs can be ordered at a special price of $125 softbound or $165 hardbound. Volume II will be shipped mid-February. Theriault’s of Annapolis, Maryland, the internationally noted auction house of antique dolls, play theatres and childhood ephemera, is celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2020. x
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The full-color commemorative 2-Volume Catalog Set is available for $125 by calling 410-224-3655 or visit www.theriaults.com.
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“The Doll as Theatre� 2-Volume Catalog Set is available for $125 softbound, $165 hardbound. For details call 410-224-3655 or visit online at Theriaults.com.
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Get Close-Up and Personal with Your Favorite Dolls from Theriault’s Face2Live is Theriault’s new service that allows you to view on live video feed closeups of a few dolls you are most interested in. Call 410-224-3655 or email info@theriaults.com to schedule an appointment. Then simply go to theriaults.com and click the handy button on the side of the main page. From there you will be connected to one of our staff on video chat (you do not have to be on video yourself) who can either get the doll you are interested in right then or schedule an appointment with you later. A great way to get a close up look of features and face in a live private video session. Available Monday through Friday 9AM-4PM Eastern.
And the Auction Fun Continues on Saturday, March 6, 2021 More than 300 outstanding dolls, accessories, furnishings and animals will be presented in Session II, upcoming on March 6, 2021. The auction will feature other rarities attributed to famous artists, wonderful characterized village people and children, mythological figures, and a special section devoted to the unique Genovese wooden doll including startling new research. Catalog will be available mid-February. x
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Hanne Büktas:
A Life of Pleasure in Collecting Hanne Büktas with one of her collections.
I am Umur Büktas, Hanne Büktas’s husband. This is the story of Hanne’s collection. It was 1959, I was 19 years old. I had just won a NATO scholarship and was allowed to select where I was to go to university and what I would study. I chose Munich and electronics. Two years later, in Munich, on January the 14th, 1961 destiny caught up with me! It was a Saturday evening. Friends asked me to join them going to a Fasching or carnival ball in the Haus der Kunst. As I was strolling through the corridors, I saw a beautiful, I mean really beautiful, woman coming in my direction. As I approached, I looked into her green-blue eyes with long eye lashes, very long dark hair hanging over her shoulders and said “Fräulein wollen Sie mit mir tanzen” or “Miss, would you like to dance with me?” She answered with a smile and said “Yes!” and
“My name is Hanne”. We danced the whole night and met thereafter every day of the following weeks. This encounter on January the 14th, 1961 would change my life for all times. I had met the love of my life. After some months we became engaged and moved together to a small apartment. I continued my studies and in 1964 we married. During our six years in Munich we started going on weekends to some flea markets we had discovered, like the one at Johanniskirchen or at the Auer Dult. We did not really know what we were looking for. Any object which we both found interesting and to our taste, we bargained for. We had each time the feeling that we might have hit the jackpot with nobody else having seen through the value of the item. In retrospective, that is where we were bitten by the collector’s bug. Our flea market excursions continued throughout our stay in Munich. We still had not enough knowledge nor money to concentrate on a certain field of
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arts. But we had fun each weekend. I returned to Istanbul in April 1967 with a lovely wife s in 1943. Hanne Bükta and a PhD. In Istanbul our quest for antiques became more serious. Every weekend saw us in the Kapali Carsi or “Closed Bazaar”, or in the shops at Galata, Asmali Mescit and Üsküdar to name a few. I began seriously collecting Ottoman ceramics while Hanne found interest in Orientalist watercolours, oil paintings and Beykoz glass wares. In 1970 I finished my military service in the Turkish navy as lieutenant of the reserve and joined the Istanbul division of Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands while we still continued our search for our growing collections. But as time went on, our son Timur, born in 1969, and our daughter Rana, born in 1975, were taking Hanne’s full
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within a short period of time, also became mine. She collected French Art-Déco glass, 18th/19th century Viennese porcelain, further Dutch paintings and slowly but surely, she developed a huge appetite for beautiful antique doll houses and rooms and dolls, mainly French fashion poupées. The only field of arts I collected on my own was 16th to 18th century Iznik and Kütahy ceramics. Hanne and Umur Büktas.
attention and mine on weekends, so that our tours of antique markets became second priority. Then, in 1979, Philips asked us to join their headquarters in EindhovenNetherlands. Once we were there, Hanne began frequenting the Amsterdam auction houses of Christie’s and Sotheby’s. I was often on business trips world-wide while Hanne attended auctions. Once she surprised me completely with an 1805 Dutch painting, “het japon” (“The Dress”) by Steffelaar that she had succeeded in winning in a bidding competition. She was very excited as it was the most expensive art object that she had ever purchased. It was the first of many to follow and still hangs in our home. Our years in the Netherlands were focused on the search of Dutch Romantic period paintings. We enjoyed this immensely with some successes. It was at this time that Hanne made the first steps in direction of dolls and doll houses. Ten years later we moved with Philips to Vienna-Austria. This was the beginning of a period of “intense” collecting and, I will admit, each interest area of Hanne’s,
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In the mid-1990s Hanne’s collections had reached such dimensions that I decided to renovate the loft of our house. That space was then allocated to her collections. Her French poupée collection had become such a beauty in all aspects that even I stopped in front of the displays in appreciation of the elegance and taste of it all. Twice a year we traveled to London for a couple of weeks. There we found everything which gave us pleasure. Hanne completed her collections mainly there and, in the USA, where we had the luck and pleasure of meeting Florence Theriault and Stuart Holbrook whom we today call our friends. They were instrumental for Hanne to be able to complete her collections with top quality articles which I had the pleasure of bidding for. Years before, Hanne had started collecting 17th and 18th century Neapolitan and Genovese dolls which are famous in Christmas cribs. Well, also here, Hanne did it differently. As always, very creative and with her own tasteful elegance, she arranged her dolls in scenes that reflected the social interaction of people of different professions in
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Above: Catalog covers featuring Hanne Büktas previous collections of poupées and dollhouses.
18th century Naples, complete with the backdrop settings in which they became alive - just as they had been displayed in Continental homes in the 1700s. Expert friends in Munich helped Hanne very much in her endeavor. This fantastic collection has become over the years Hanne’s most loved one. We did not know then that this would be her “last collection”! The love of my life, my partner 60 years long, my wife Hanne has now serious health problems and is not able to enjoy her beloved collections. She therefore asked me to bring this last collection of hers to Theriault’s to the USA, where we know it to be in the best hands of Florence and Stuart. Umur Büktas Vienna, October 2020
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Dollmastery Vignette Series Watch Florence Theriault’s educational videos about antique dolls — available for viewing on YouTube.
Simply visit YouTube.com/TheriaultsDolls After November 15th, watch for new videos featuring rare dolls from the December 5, 2020 auction to be sold at the Marquis Auction Event at Theriault’s Studio in Annapolis, MD.
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The Doll as Theatre: Neapolitan and Continental Dolls of the 17th and 18th Century from the Hanne BĂźktas Collection
The costumes, in scale, color and thoughtfullycrafted details, contribute to the subtle realism and found in each doll.
BACKGROUND It was not uncommon in the 18th century for a doll to be presented within its own miniature dollscaled world. There was the French wooden court doll, usually posed in the presence of other court figures, each of which was singularly carved to represent a specific person, their collective purpose to insinuate a rumored scandal of the court. There was the English wooden doll, often housed in a perfectly scaled setting designed as a replica of the family manor, replete with a bounty of related miniatures from everyday life. The Japanese Ningyo, too, were showcased to tell a story, punctuated with accessories ranging from animals to furnishings to foods; this was most tellingly evident in the elaborate arrangements created for annual celebrations.
the extraordinary Mon Plaisir doll mansion of Princess August Dorothea which comprised over 400 dolls and 2670 pieces of furniture and accessories, arranged to represent everyday life in the village as well as the palace, to the carved wooden crib figures of old Bavaria and the Tyrol. “The accumulation of architectural detail is as characteristic
In Germany, the tradition was even more dominant, ranging from
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of the Tyrol cribs as the superabundance of figures. A crib belonging to the Jaufental family… mingled dwellings of the Tyrol Alps with architecture of the Renaissance, Temples, and a hill castle. For the six scenes [which] it represented it utilized twentyfour buildings, 256 human and 154 animal figures” wrote Max Von Boehn in Dolls and Puppets, 1956. For each of these dolls, characterization was paramount. Facial expressions were sculpted and painted to represent moods of festivity, anger, anguish, joy and every other emotion imaginable. Bodies were designed to articulate, to a greater or lesser degree, the better to enhance the expression through pose, while costuming, ranging from sumptuous silks and embroidery to simple homespun and lambswool, defined the social station of each person. Dolls were theatre! But nowhere was the human theatre in dolls more vividly seen than in Naples, Italy. Although, the origin of the Neapolitan doll dates centuries earlier, it was during the mid-late 18th century (1734-1805), during the reign of the Bourbon kings, that its
popularity reached a peak. During that era, known as the Golden Age of Naples, the city soared to an artistic, intellectual and cultural apex that was rivalled only by Paris. Among the most noted artistic work of this era was that known as the Presipio or crib scene. Make no mistake. What began centuries earlier as a simple crib scene depicting the birth of Jesus, had now evolved into far more. The presentation depicted an entire village in miniature encompassing nobility, merchants, housewives, children and animals in everyday life scenes. Grapes were gathered by winemakers, men herded their animals, women tended their crying or mischievous children, vendors offered their wares, musicians
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Hanne and Umur Büktas’ collection is expertly showcased to emphasize the characters and how they play off of one another in beautiful interactive scenes.
The sculpting and painting add to the dramatic quality of the faces.
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played, people reveled at banquet tables. The simple crib scene, in short, had come to depict a full panorama of village life. It was grand, sometimes filling an entire room of an aristocratic mansion. How did this happen? How did a simple scene evolve into becoming so grand, so opulent, so extraordinary in its artistry and storytelling? It was an 18th century fusion of historical and social events, a “perfect storm� of traditional Neapolitan reverence for the arts with extreme wealth and the competitive desire to display that wealth. Too, marriages with other European royal families, such as that of Maria Amalia of Saxony and Maria Carolina of Austria, served to bring a more cosmopolitan and sophisticated air to the Naples artistic scene. Maria Amalia, queen consort from 1738-1759 of Charles III, was born in Dresden of Saxony, considered the birthplace of European porcelain manufacturing, and among her contributions to the arts of Naples was the 1743 introduction of porcelain production, most notably in her sponsorship of the Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory. It is believed that some of the notable Neapolitan artists who designed for that manufactory also created earthenware figures for the Neapolitan scenes. As for Maria Carolina of Austria,
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queen consort from 1759-1768 of Ferdinand IV of Naples, her involvement in the creation and popularity of the dolls was more specific; it is known that she and her court ladies dressed the dolls in fashionable silks and embroideries encrusted with real jewels. Maria Carolina’s husband, King Ferdinando IV, was particularly mesmerized by the theatre of the scenes, too, and, under his encouragement, in 1784 Maria Caroline established the philanthropic San Leucio colony, a village with its own unique laws and customs whose sole object was to weave silk whose use was so prevalent in the costuming of Neapolitan figures. Celebrated fine artists and sculptors were involved in the creation of these figures. There was Francesco Celebrano, painter to the Royal Chamber under Fernando IV. Francesco Gallo, modeler at the Royal Porcelain Factory in Palermo in 1788, designed animal figures inspired by animals in the Royal Zoo in Naples. And there was Lorenzo Mosca, Giuseppe Gori, and Sanmartino (Sammartino), considered the leading Neapolitan sculptors of the 18th century. COLLECTING OF THESE DOLLS TODAY Yet despite the artistic quality of these dolls, despite their variety of facial models, despite the masterpiece quality of their costuming, the collecting of these dolls remains an outlier in most doll collecting circles today. Why is that?
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Some argue that they are not really dolls, they are not playthings. This is folly. As dolls are miniature representations of people, as they lend themselves to feed our imagination, as they can be arranged in infinite scenes, as each face speaks differently to each observer, so they are dolls. That their clothes could not be removed and re-dressed is hardly an argument, as this is generally true of most dolls created during this time period when costumes were commonly tacked or glued to the bodies. That they have little articulation is irrelevant, as, again, this could also be said about a myriad of other figures we call dolls. But what do we – today’s collectors – name these figures? Creche figures or presepio figures are inaccurate phrases, the models having moved far distant from the original crib scene and, mainly, for entirely different purposes. As an example, during the 1700s production era, the dolls were predominantly attired in costumes of that current time; indeed, the various workshops vied to present the most up-todate styles of each current year, much as a century later did the makers of the French poupée. And since the specific artist or workshop of the majority of the dolls can, at best, be only “attributed to”, it is not sensible to identify in that manner. It seems, then, that the collector must resort to the generic name style used for other dolls of the
Scenes are often elevated by the expressiveness of the characters themselves.
Whether the doll is displayed individually or in a group, gestures of the hands play an important role in the narrative.
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17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries, that is, Grodnertal Wooden Doll, French Court Doll, English Wooden Doll‌ and, simply, Neapolitan Doll. LEARNING MORE Because few study guides have been written about these dolls, collectors are hesitant to enter this specialty of doll collecting. But it is like all areas of collecting, one nudges a little, then a little more, and suddenly it begins to make sense and you can lay out a plan. Will your focus be the facial models with their incredible expressions (that you might display nearby your German art character children of 150 years later to illustrate influence)? Will you choose according to costumes, looking to assemble those with the finest silks, embroideries and jewels (that you might display in a chronological manner nearby your couturierattired French poupÊes)? Will you search for those few with connections to known artists? Will you choose men, women, children, or all? Will you choose for individual exhibition or seek to create a scene, much like the
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Naples aristocracy who first commissioned the dolls? Ah, so many choices. So much learning, so much pleasure! There are other reasons to collect these fine dolls. There are the social connections you might make with other collectors in related areas such as antique Christmas objects, textiles and tapestry or Neapolitan paintings of the same era whose scenes so closely resemble Neapolitan doll vignettes. There is the excellent state of preservation in which most of the Neapolitan dolls are found so little restoration or curating is ever necessary; they are ready for display! And there is opportunity! For collectors seeking something different, especially something that combines history, artistry and affordable prices, this could be a golden opportunity. It is certain that given the combination of their 200+ years of age, their level of artistry, their variety, their excellent state of preservation, and their petite size so desired by today’s collectors living in
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smaller homes, their current market values are most reasonable. Although few English-language books have been written on the subject, there are some useful references including The Angel Tree from the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a fact-filled chapter of “The Creche in Eighteenth-Century Naples”; The Golden Age of Naples, Art and Civilization Under the Bourbons, 1734-1805, 1981, a two-volume book published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Art; A Nativity from Naples, Presepe Sculpture of the 18th Century from the Kimbell Art Museum of Fort Worth, 2008; Il Presepe Napoletan (in English and Italian) edited by Catello, (Guida, 2005) and Dolls and Puppets by Max Van Boehn (Branford, 1932, 1956). THE HANNE BÜKTAS COLLECTION Doll collectors are familiar with the discerning collections of Hanne Büktas which have graced Theriault’s auctions in past years, ranging from The Hanne Büktas Collection of Antique Needlework Tools and Sewing Accessories to Lady Fancies, Half-Dolls, Bathing Beauties and More, to The Hanne Büktas Collection of French Poupées, Their Trousseaux and Accessories. It was while collecting French poupées that Hanne Büktas began the pursuit of other Continental dolls including Grodnertal, Genovese and Neopolitans, and, as was the case with her poupée collection, the pursuit encompassed each aspect of that collecting niche, including furnishings, accessories, animals, and other accoutrements. This is her final remaining collection, her favorite, and it will be presented in two separate events by Theriault’s on December 5, 2020 and March 6, 2021. A special commemorative 2-volume catalog is in preparation and will feature nearly 500 dolls and hundreds of related ephemera, furnishings, and accessories. x
Tapestries and textiles are represented with an ornate quality of richness, from vending scenes to baroque, and together with the dolls, present a visual feast and craftsmanship rarely found in dolls of this size.
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Thank You for Being Part of Our Story: Celebrating Theriault’s 50 Years in the Doll World
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hen Theriault’s opened the auctions must be held in more then, in 1985, the first of many its doors in 1970, the accommodating locations, hence important doll museums which Bye-Lo Baby doll was the beginning of Theriault’s auctions would follow, the Museum of Old a mere 47 years old and Barbie in hotel ballrooms, first in the Dolls and Toys from Winter Haven, had just reached 11 years. Poconos of Pennsylvania, Florida. When Marge Trentham Few reference books then in Orlando, Florida, closed her Antique Doll Museum had been written and eventually across in Galveston, Texas in 1987, she about dolls. The first the United States. said “All we ever wanted to say in annual convention our museum was that playthings are of UFDC had And most part of the people. Just as the people taken place only importantly, who own them ‘breathe life’ into their 20 years earlier. The the decision was dolls, the dolls bring perspective to our landmark Collector’s made to specialize everyday affairs. We want them to ce e th & n i Ge Encyclopedia of Dolls by in antique dolls and live in the hands of other collectors”. orge Theriault Coleman was a mere two playthings. “In the past years She chose Theriault’s to see that years old while the Blue Book of we had presented antique auctions passage through. Dolls and Values by Foulke would in many themes ranging from not emerge until 1985. Americana to rare books to antique Those museums and collections dolls and playthings. We chose dolls were only the beginning of Yet for decades, doll lovers around as our specialty because we had most memorable auctions of Theriault’s the world had been quietly seeking enjoyed the objects themselves, history. Museum collectors and gathering old dolls. The biggest as well as the personalities included the Legoland problem was where to find them. of the people who Museum of Dolls, Into that scene came George and collected them. There the Spielzeug Florence Theriault, she a librarian was enthusiasm, Museum of Davos, and he a small business owner. The energy, nostalgia and Switzerland, the auctions were small at first and not laughter all rolled PuppenSpielzeug limited to dolls. Every Friday night into one”, remarked Museum of in the small town of Fleetville in George Theriault Vienna, and the St t northeastern Pennsylvania, they many times. Stein-am-Rhein n ua ide rt H olbrook, Pres held an auction in a converted bus Museum in Switzerland. garage turned into auction gallery. Collections began to arrive from And who could forget the Gallery was a generous description all over the country. There was collection auctions of Mildred for the hall, as the floor was only the collection of the redoubtable Seeley, Jane Withers, Hanne half-paved and bathroom facilities Vi Bennet of Oakland, California, Büktas, Billie Nelson Tyrell, consisted of porta-johns placed at Dorothy Comfort of Minnesota, Madaline Selfridge, Lucy Morgan, the outside wall of the building. But Lillian Mosley of Pittsburgh, Pat Madame Petyt, Carole Zvonar, word of the fun auctions spread Timothy of Seattle, Lucy Earle of Peggy Lancaster, Margaret and the business grew. After a few Pacific Palisades and Margaret Hartshorn, and notably, Shirley years, decisions needed to be made. Geiger, Hilda Teitel, Helen Jo Payne Temple’s private childhood Two were most important. First, and Joanna Gast Anderton, and collection, among so many more.
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Although, early on, the company had decided to specialize only in dolls, it soon became evident that specialties existed within specialties. In 1979, Theriault’s presented its first Alexander Dolls auction, followed that year by their first specialty auction of Dollhouses and Miniatures. Other specialty doll auctions followed. Barbie dolls, then Paper Dolls, then six popular auctions of Antique Doll Costumes. There have been specialty doll auctions of French Etrennes, Japanese Ningyo, Kewpies, Automata, Sand Pails and Toy Stoves, to name just a few.
“But times change and now it’s our goal to re-create that atmosphere in the new virtual world”.
firm continues to publish its awardwinning catalogs with detailed historical information about each doll, and legacy history about important collections.
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In the auction industry, Theriault’s has been notable for its educational outreach. Appraisal clinics for the The firm remains family-owned general community and specialized and operated. Although George seminars for collectors have been Theriault passed away in 2010, part of their repertoire from his sons, company President earliest years, as well, Stuart Holbrook and today, as being featured Luke Theriault, keynote speakers joined the firm and at international continue the same doll conventions. traditions of service Theriault’s has and excellence published important imbedded from the reference books by early years. Many of The original company name, leading experts including its full-time staff have Luke lt Theriau Fleetville Auctions was changed the Schoenhut books by remained with the firm for to Auctions by Theriault, and Evelyn Ackerman, Raggedy Ann several decades. later, simply Theriault’s. In 1981, books by Andrew Tabbat, and the company had relocated to German Doll Studies by Marianne And many from the world of dolls, Annapolis, Maryland where its and Jurgen Cieslik. Florence Theriault who for many years looked to headquarters remain. Some things co-authored the English versions Theriault’s as the source of wonderful have changed. Originally bidding of The Jumeau Book and The dolls, now look to Theriault’s as the was by attendance only, Bru Book with François right venue for the passage of their then written absentee Theimer, and both dolls into new hands. Such a collection bidding was invited, Florence Theriault and was that of Huguette Clark whose then telephone Stuart Holbrook have important dolls were presented by reservations were authored numerous Theriault’s this past January near her possible, later fax other doll studies. famous Bellosguardo home in Santa bids were considered Today, Theriault’s Barbara. Collectors gathered from a real bonus for YouTube channel round the world, laughter filled the t offers dozens of helpful a international collectors, iginal auction room. It was the premiere P et Go k c l d Horse Ja and today, at any auction, study videos. of Theriault’s 50th Anniversary bids arrive in any number of Celebration. ways including all of the above as The introduction of the Gold well as live online bidding. Florence Horse Guarantee in 1978 has been A week after that festive celebration, Theriault ruefully acknowledges “I considered a landmark in the everything changed in the world and miss the old auctions when collectors industry, seeking to assure new Covid-19 became the new reality. rushed eagerly into the auction, collectors of a sound investment in But the 50-year message of learning anxious to look for dolls they had the dolls they win at a Theriault’s from Theriault’s is simple. “Stay safe. only dreamed of ever seeing, and auction. While many collectors We are here now virtually, but we will there was laughter and community now refer only to Theriault’s online all be back in real life. Because, as the with other collectors” and then adds sources for bidding purposes, the saying goes, ‘the show must go on’ ”. x
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Is It Time to Part with Your Doll Collection? t he
September 2020
d ol l mast e r s
Bring Home a Doll
To Our Friends, During our 50-year anniversary celebration Theriault’s has been reminiscing about the collections we’ve handled and considering the many reasons collectors or their families have made the decision to part with a collection. Sometimes it has been to help a goal be realized, such as sending a grandchild to college. Sometimes it was to fulfill a lifetime dream, such as travel to far-away places. Sometimes it was to move to a new and smaller home, saving a few favorite dolls and parting with all the others. And sometimes it has been the task of family members to oversee the parting of a collection when a loved one, the collector, has passed away. Making the decision is never easy. For most collectors, dolls have been a center of their life for many years. Many collectors remember where they bought each doll. In a sense, the dolls define them. For family members, guilt can enter the picture, too. “Mom always hoped one of us would keep her dolls” is a common refrain with the added note “but none of us have the space in our homes, and we don’t have the time to care for them as she did”. We understand this. And during these Covid-19 times, there are added concerns on the part of collectors or their families. Is the market good? Are collectors buying now? How can we discuss the dolls and how can you see them? How is the whole thing handled? These are all good questions. And Theriault’s is here to help you, as they have been for 50 years. We’ve instituted new procedures to make the whole process easy and safe for you. And, yes, the market is extremely strong! Please give us a call. We would love to talk with you personally, answer all your questions, and probably think of a few that haven’t even crossed your mind yet! There is never an obligation, never hard-sell pressure, and we’ve even been known to advise a collector “You’re not yet ready to part with your dolls”. Building your collection was a joy. Now you can experience the joy of helping other collectors build theirs. Let us help you make the process an easy one. Good thoughts and stay safe,
Florence Theriault
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Come Visit The New FlorenceandGeorge.com In the early 1970s Florence and George Theriault cast off their lucrative and stable careers to open a small country auction house in rural Pennsylvania. They didn’t make more money, they made less. They didn’t work fewer hours, they worked more, but they were their own bosses. Within ten years that small auction company became an internationally renowned antique auction firm. Later Theriault’s moved to Annapolis, Maryland, and a sister company, Dollmasters, was founded by Florence and George. Where Theriault’s would offer people unparalleled antique collectibles, Dollmasters presented collectors with a mix of hand-crafted art pieces and old store stock discovered by Florence and George as they toured the world gathering antiques. Dollmasters distinguished itself as the mail-order company that didn’t simply offer every item it could find; they picked and chose the ones they would be proud to have in their own homes.
Shopping couldn’t be easier at the great new Florence and George! Better, faster, and still the name you’ve come to trust with F&G!
Four decades later, Dollmasters changed its name to Florence and George to celebrate the original entrepreneurial spirit of its founders. But like Dollmasters, Florence and George is still committed to offering you nothing we wouldn’t put in our homes. Florence and George: For collectors, by collectors.
Shop for the Holidays! FlorenceandGeorge.com x For more information visit Theriaults.com
or call 410-224-3655 x
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x A T
A l l t h e Way s t o B i d A
T H E R I A U L T ’ S
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A U C T I O N
Every Theriault’s auction brims with new discoveries for your collection. So why not join in on the bidding fun? It’s easy and fun. Choose your favorite way to bid. choose from the following bidding options Bid Live on the Internet Plan to spend the day at the auction in the comfort of your home. Watch and listen to the auction live, and get ready to bid live when the dolls of your choice come up for auction. Bid on the Telephone Choose your dolls, and then call our office to make a reservation for telephone bidding. We call you when your dolls of choice come up for bidding, and you bid just as though you were there. Bid Absentee Place your bids right up to the time of auction by mail, fax, email or phone. Advise us of the lots and your top bid. We will bid for you fairly and competitively.
Questions? Just call Theriault’s at 410-224-3655 or email info@theriaults.com and we’ll review all the details and help you choose the option that’s best for you.
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x For more information visit Theriaults.com
or call 410-224-3655 x
x Visit Theriaults.com x Featuring educational videos about antique dolls, up-to-date doll news, and great resources.
Theriaults.com always has something new, with great information and highlights in a clean and simple place to discover them. Explore our upcoming auctions, stunning doll photography, and invaluable resources for collectors. All in one easy-to-navigate website.
Go to theriaults.com to complete your doll research or just to see what’s new!
Order Form for Doll Auction Catalogs “The Doll as Theatre” Volume 1-2 Softbound Marquis Auction Catalog — At Theriault’s Studio in Annapolis, MD - December 5, 2020 and March 6, 2021. Volume Two Ships February. $125.
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“The Doll as Theatre” Volume 1-2 Hardbound Marquis Auction Catalog — At Theriault’s Studio in Annapolis, MD - December 5, 2020 and March 6, 2021. Volume Two Ships February. $165.
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❒ Five-Issue Subscription Receive the next five doll auction catalogs at a 60% reduction of single-issue price. US: $229. Canada: $239. International: $299.
2021 Calendar of Dolls Featuring beautiful antique dolls. Sixteen full-color photographs featuring gorgeous antique dolls. 24” x 12”. Subscribe Now to Theriault’s Award Winning Catalogs for fabulous savings and the assurance that the catalog you want will never be “sold out”. On a ten issue subscription, the individual catalogs are only $29.90 – that’s a whopping 60% savings!
❒ Ten-Issue Subscription Receive the next ten doll auction catalogs at a 60% reduction of single-issue price. US: $329. Canada: $459. International: $499. ❒
2021 Calendar of Dolls (16 months thru Feb 2022): $22.
*Maryland residents add 6% sales tax. Name Address City
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x For more information visit Theriaults.com
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or call 410-224-3655 x
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events S AT U R DAY
December 5, 2020 11:00 AM EST. “The Doll as Theatre” Session One. Auction Begins.
March 6, 2021 “The Doll as Theatre” Session Two. Watch for updates. Coming Soon!
For more auction information or to discuss all the different ways to bid call 410-224-3655 or visit www.theriaults.com.
OF
the dollmasters
PO Box 151 Annapolis, Maryland 21404 www.theriaults.com
schedule
Absentee, Telephone and Live Internet Bidding We welcome absentee bidding, live telephone bidding, and live bidding on the internet. Too, you can “tunein” to the online auction and watch and listen to the entire event. Questions? Give us a call and we’ll help you choose the bidding option that is best for you.
Auction Information The auction will take place at the Theriault’s Studio in Annapolis, Maryland. For auction information call Theriault’s at 410-224-3655 M-F 9AM-5PM EST or go online to theriaults.com. Email queries to info@theriaults.com anytime.
Upcoming Marquis Auction “Echoes of Old Remembered Times” - January 23-24, 2021