What is a Porcelain Doll?
A porcelain doll is a doll with a head and extremities made from porcelain, a special type of clay which is famous for being very workable, strong, and beautiful. Porcelain dolls may also be referred to as china dolls, referencing an alternative name for porcelain. This style of doll was made popular in Europe in the 19th century, and a handful of dollmakers continue to produce traditional porcelain dolls. Some very fine examples of antique dolls can be seen on display in museums and at doll trade shows. Porcelain is a material which originated in China. The Chinese managed to keep the secret of porcelain manufacture to themselves for centuries, but in the early 1700s, Europeans finally figured out how to make it on their own, and a European porcelain industry promptly exploded. One of the results of this industry was the porcelain doll, which originated in England around the 1770s. Early British porcelain dolls were crude and basic, but the design had clear potential. German and Dutch
