A Rare Lenci Baby of 1924
A Forum member recently posted a question in the identification section asking the common question "Is my doll a Lenci?" Early Lenci dolls can be difficult to identify as they are rarely seen on eBay and at auction sites and early Lenci babies are among the rarest. In fact I had never seen this outfit before, and have never seen this doll in person.
The original Lenci catalog page in the Ars Novita of 1924 shows this baby along with two other version of this model. You can see most of this catalog here in our catalog pages. But there were a few pages missing when I put that version on the site. I have now located the missing pages,so we can identify this baby as Lenci model 164 A of 1924.
Below you can see the detail of the first 17" Anili Baby, model 164, named after Madame Lenci's own baby daughter, and this model we have identified today which is 164 A and her original catalog picture.
This 17 inch all felt jointed doll wears a white smocked felt dress and matching bonnet and shoes the bodice is trimmed with felt flowers,and caped sleeve detail.
Under the 2 piece cotton lace trimmed undies there is a cotton knit onesie (not seen in the picture.
Nancy Lazenby's book shows a another version of this baby wearing a pink outfit, the model N 164 B , seen on the left in the catalog picture at the bottom of this page,
Above, Lenci catalog pages of 1924 showing rare Anili babies named after Madame Lenci's own baby daughter.
Anili Baby in Pink, Model N 164 B of 1924, as seen in Nancy Lazenby's book:
Lenci: The History and the Dolls
