275. Heavy Metal: MINERVA METAL HEAD BOY DOLL

 One of the most unique material in doll making is tin--a practice that started in the late 19th century, and peaked in the 1920s. Doll heads of metal were considered "indestructible", more durable than porcelain, parian and bisque. Unlike composition, they also did not absorb moisture. One such example I picked up from ebay is this great-looking metal head boy doll in a smart Little Lord Fauntleroy suit. The back of the head is marked "Minerva", a common manufacturer's mark found on such dolls. In reality, these dolls were made by different companies and distributed all over the United States.

 This 21 inch doll features a cloth body and composition hands and feet. Other than a few paint losses on the head, it is in good condition. The Fauntleroy costume in brown velvet looks like a later replacement, but it is still a vintage piece. The only drawbacks noted with metal head dolls was the fact that they are affected by temperature changes, absorbing heat and cold. As such, they were not as "cuddable" and "huggable" as other dolls. They don't command much, as they are not popular (I still have to see an example in the Philippines)--which is fine for a collector with a shoestring budget like me!

262. LITTLE DRUMMER BOY: A 1920s Mechanical Toy

I found this little drummer boy in one of those collectible shops along Tomas Morato in Q. C. . The bisque headed drummer has a wooden framework boy, covered with cloth, now frayed with age. He stands on a base made of thin plywood. He holds drumsticks on both hands; there is a lever at his back, which, when pulled down, caused the drumsticks to beat on a cardboard drum.

Toys, like this example, were cheaply produced in Europe. Bisque (unglazed ceramic) heads in all sizes were mass produced from the 18th to the 20th c. and were used to make dolls, automatons and mechanical toys. This drummer boy found its way here, perhaps, sold in one of the department stores or bazaars along Escolta in the 1920s. Such toys were comparatively expensive when sold here,  which probably was the reason why this toy survived--it was lovingly kept in a curio cabinet, only to be taken out and played with when a child got sick.