Description:

Black Americana
n.p., ca. early 20th century
Loveleigh Novelty Doll of a Young Boy Eating a Watermelon
Doll
A handmade walnut-head Loveleigh Novelty Doll of a boy eating a watermelon. Measuring 2.5" x 7.5", n.p. [Georgia], n.d. [ca. early 20th century]. The doll, made of wood, papier-mâché, fabric, and other materials, is a stereotypical depiction of a young African American boy eating a large slice of watermelon. The head has been crafted from a walnut shell. His body is made of wire wrapped in cloth, and his fingers are made of felt. His flat feet also allow him to be stood up. The boy is attired in burlap shorts with a cotton shirt and bandana topped off with a felt wide-brimmed hat. The face and watermelon have been hand-painted. With age and use wear, rubbing and chipping to the paint, as well as some material loss on both legs. Light soiling throughout. Still very good condition.

For centuries, watermelon has been used in conjunction with negative imagery of Black Americans. It began as a demeaning symbol in the 19th century, when freed Black Americans became merchants and sold the fruit, and the stereotype persisted into the 20th and 21st centuries.

These dolls were handmade by Itura Rosalein Colley Leigh, better known as Miss Love (Love-Leigh) of Grantville, Georgia. She started making dolls in 1924 and produced them up until 1954-56. She used English walnuts as the heads, and the wire bodies were wrapped with cloth and/or crepe paper. Her earliest creations can be identified by the dark red paint around the eyes, a design that was dropped in later dolls. Their legs and feet are always the same - flat wire covered with crepe paper. Love used miscellaneous items from her home to make the dolls, which represented black life as she saw it in her town. It was her belief that these character dolls presented a dignified portrait of black people, not the usual caricatures. The first doll introduced to the public was "Old Black Joe", a cotton picker. Others included "Aunt Lucy", "Mammy's Angel Child" or "Topsy", the Preacher and his Wife, "Traveling Annie", a fishing boy, Banjo Players, and the Little Watermelon Boy. Love's dolls were sold all over the world in the 1930s and the demand for them convinced Leigh to seek a patent for her designs.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 2.5" x 7.5"
  • Medium: Doll

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January 29, 2025 10:00 AM EST
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