Unique & Rare Pair of Large Antique Vintage Chinese Automated Dancing Dolls

  

Fascinating and extremely unusual pair of what seem to be (once) automated vintage musical Chinese dancing dolls. The dolls are almost identical and beautifully made - silk dresses decorated with flowers, elaborately braided hair and jewellery (note the beaded earrings). The base of each shows that there were once possibly batteries?

Or maybe musical boxes inside them. There are also tiny wheels. My feeling is that they probably once sat on some kind of a musical? Base and twirled around, lifting their arms and moving their heads. Date and provenance are a mystery, but they could be as late as 1950's.

Perhaps a collector will be able to tell me more... One doll is in near perfect antique/vintage condition, though whatever used to be in the base compartment is missing. The front of her silk skirt has some light yet visible holes - possible moth damage? One of the ribbons on her dress is slightly torn.

Please look carefully at the photographs and do ask if you need to see more. Each doll stands approximately 14 inches high. The item "Unique & Rare Pair of Large Antique Vintage Chinese Automated Dancing Dolls" is in sale since Friday, May 3, 2019. This item is in the category "Dolls & Bears\Dolls, Clothing & Accessories\Vintage Dolls". The seller is "susanjacobsartvintage" and is located in London.

This item can be shipped worldwide.

1. Doll Gender: female
2. Ethnicity: Chinese
3. Doll Size: 14 inches
4. Era/Year: 1950s
5. Doll Type: automata
6. Features: Vintage