Antique China dolls were made by various, mostly German companies from 1836 to the 1940s.  Glazed porcelain China head dolls (unglazed porcelain dolls are referred to as Parian dolls) are usually found on a wood, cloth or kid body with some dolls having partial china limbs as well.  Most china dolls found, have molded painted hair, but some have a wig over a solid bald dome head.  China head dolls range in size from a tiny 3 inches to a big and very heavy 40 inches tall.

China head dolls are usually unmarked, some may have a mold number or doll makers mark on the back of the neck or on the shoulder plate, thus it can be impossible to pinpoint the doll maker, so dolls are described and identified by the type of hairstyle.  As hairstyles changed over the long history of China head doll making, dolls changed too, which gives us a clue to their dating. 

Shown on left is China head doll hairstyle known as

Countess Dagmar ca. 1860s, photo courtesy of  Virtu Doll.

1840's China Head Doll Bun

Damenkoph, Lady head,

Young Queen Victoria

Hairstyle is in a bun, braid or hair rolled at the back of the neck.

1840's China Head Child doll

Kinderkoff head

Can be a female or male child shoulder head doll.

1840's  China Head Doll KPM

KPM, Königliche Porzellan Manufactur Messen, King's Porcelain Factory, is the company name not a hairstyle, very rare blanc de chine male shoulder head doll.

1840's  China Head Doll

Lydia head (shown on left)

Hairstyle parted in the center, smooth on top, ringlet type long curls on sides.  The photo on the right is of a Sophia or Lydia head - in other words it's close to both hairstyles.

1840's  China Head Doll

Queen Victoria head, exposed ears

If you look at many of the photo's here, you will not see ears beneath the hair, but this one shows the ears and was made by TPM the Carl Tiesch Company of Poland 1840's.

1840's  China Head Doll

Sophia Smith head 

Hairstyle with straight sausage curl hair.

1850's China Head Doll

Biedermier or bald head 

Solid dome bald shaped head with a wig over the head.

1850's China Head Doll

Covered wagon head

Hairstyle with a center part, flat on top with curls around the head.

1850's China Head Doll

Greiner style head

Hairstyle with a middle part, wavy on the sides with comb marks, high forehead.

1860's China Head Doll

Alice in Wonderland head

Hairstyle with molded headband on a Motschmann type body.

1860's China Head Doll

Countess Dagmar head 

Various elaborate hairstyles some with pierced ears.

1860's China Head Doll

High Brow head

Hairstyle with center part, flat top, curls around head, round face with high forehead.

1860's China Head Doll

Jenny Lind head

Hairstyle parted in the middle and pulled back into a bun with a high forehead

1860's China Head Doll

Morning Glory head

Hairstyle with hair pulled back, wavy on sides with molded flowers at the neck.

1860-1870's China Head Doll

Mary Todd Lincoln head

Hairstyle is pulled back and held in place with a snood.

1860's China Head Doll

Waterfall head

Hairstyle, you better just take a look at the photo to understand the description for  yourself.

1860-1870's  China Head Doll

Flat top, High brow

 or Civil War head 

Hairstyle parted in the middle with short curls, high forehead and flat top head.

1870's China Head Doll

Adelina Patti head 

Hairstyle with a center part, rolled hair with elaborate curls.

1870's  China Head Doll

Curly Top head

Hairstyle has ringlet curls over entire head

1870's  China Head Doll

Dolly Madison head

Hairstyle with curls all over the head with molded ribbon

1870's  China Head Doll

Spill Curl head

Hairstyle of curls on forehead and spilling down the back of the neck

1870's  China Head Doll

Currier & Ives head 

Hairstyle with bangs, some have hair details like a headband shown on this parian head of untinted bisque.

1880's  China Head Doll

Highland Mary head

Hairstyle with bangs and curls at sides.

1890's  China Head Doll

Low Brow head

Hairstyle is common for this era with all over curls could be blonde or black hair.

1895's China Head Doll

Pet Name head by Hertwig

Doll name is printed in gold on front of shoulder plate, names are: Agnes, Bertha, Daisy, Dorothy, Edith, Ethel, Esther, Florence, Helen, Mabel, Marion, Pauline and Ruth.

1900's  China Head Doll

Japan - china heads

Various hairstyles.

1900's  China Head Doll

Bonnet heads

Like the name implies dolls are wearing a molded bonnet over their molded hair.

1905's  China Head Doll

Low Brow shoulder heads with jewel neck.

Additional China Head dolls

not shown

1920-1930 China Head Doll,

Low Brows head

1940s China Head Dolls