Bisque
Bisque refers to a type of doll that has been fired
twice, with color added before the second firing. This color includes the
overall tint as well as the facial features. Bisque heads were expensive
to produce, but if done on a large scale, they could be made cost-effective.
These dolls were also produced from molds like the poured wax dolls and
later composition dolls. The porcelain was either poured or pressed
into the molds and then the greenware (unfired porcelain) was removed from
the mold after the form was set. Casting lines were cleaned off and
the piece was fired. Then the tint and details were added and the
piece was fired again. Earlier bisque heads had molded hair and eyes.
Later heads possessed glass inset, sleep eyes, or flirty eyes. Some
bisque dolls had inset tongues and teeth. More bisque dolls were
produced in Germany near Thurgingia than anywhere else due to large nearby
deposits of the clay needed to make the porcelain.
Bisque dolls had various types of bodies. Some of the types included
leather, cloth, wooden, paper mache, composition, and bisque. Because
bisque doll bodies are heavier than other types of bodies, they are less
common, usually only seen on smaller dolls.
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