Dog-Chewed Doll Sells for ₹54 Lakh at UK Auction

A doll, over 100 years old and bearing multiple damages, including a dog-chewed right leg, defied its fate of being discarded and fetched an impressive sum of nearly 53,000 pounds at a United Kingdom auction.

As reported by the BBC, this antique doll from 1910 found a new owner through the auction house Vectis, located on Teesside. Despite having endured the loss of its foot due to a puppy’s playful mischief long ago, a bidder from the United States successfully acquired the doll for a substantial amount of 52,675 pounds (equivalent to Rs 54,16,612).

The news outlet also highlighted that this particular Kammer & Reinhardt doll, regarded as “high quality,” is a rarity in the market, with its sale occurring only once every 20-30 years, according to Vectis, based in Thornaby. Initial estimates predicted its sale to reach up to 17,000 pounds.

These lifelike dolls, meticulously crafted to resemble real children, were intended for adult collectors rather than young children. However, changing trends in post-World War, I Germany led to declining demand for such expensive dolls in the mass market.

The doll’s previous ownership lineage traces back to the seller’s grandmother and subsequently to their mother, as shared by the seller.

Highlighting the doll’s exceptional characteristics, the auction company described it on its website as possessing remarkable qualities, including its larger size, intricate craftsmanship, expressive features, and delicately applied translucent painting.

The auction house explained the damaged portions of the doll, noting that the right hand missed the tip of the index finger, while the right leg suffered damage when the family dog chewed away a portion of it. The lower leg has scratches and bite marks. 

 New re-stringing was carried out, adding a mismatched ball joint at the right knee to address the leg damage.