Through the Eyes of Leo Moss: His Story, His Dolls Part 2 of 4

Value of Leo Moss Dolls

In today’s market, with or without tears, Leo Moss dolls command thousands of dollars placing them beyond the grasp of many collectors.   Courtesy images, auction descriptions, and realized prices of past Leo Moss auctions shared by Florence Theriault of Theriault’s Antique Doll Auctions and Dan Morphy of Dan Morphy Auctions, LLC, endorse the recent market value of Moss dolls.  (Note that these auctioneers use the variant spelling, paper mache, in their descriptions.)

On July 9, 2006, the following tearful Moss character doll sold in a Theriault’s auction for $9,500.00. 

Crying black child doll by Leo Moss, sold on July 9, 2006, in a Theriault's auction.

Paper Mache Black Folk Doll

17" (43 cm) Hand-sculpted paper mache head portraying a young crying black child, with rich dark brown complexion, sculpted fleecy hair, brown glass inset eyes, sculpted detail of slanted brows, downcast lips in fretful expression, sculpted tears, brown muslin body, brown composition lower limbs, muslin baby gown. Condition: generally excellent.  Marks:  L.M. (impressed at back neck), Mabel Lincoln 1922 (muslin label with hand-lettered words on front torso).  Comments:  circa 1920s, the doll is attributed to Georgian folk artist Leo Moss who, according to semi-documented legends, is reported to have worked during this time creating portrait characterization dolls of his family and friends; the child with sculpted tears is among his most notable pieces. Value Points:  wonderfully sculpted doll with superb detail of hair and facial features perfectly preserved.

In the same July 9, 2006, Theriault’s auction, another doll attributed to Leo Moss sold for $2,400.00. 

Circa 1920 mature doll attributed to Leo Moss, sold on July 9, 2006, in a Theriault's auction.

Brown-Complexioned Paper Mache Doll with Sculpted Hat, Possibly Leo Moss

15" (38 cm) Brown paper mache socket head with hand-pressed sculpted detail, amber brown complexion, black tightly curled hair under sculpted red-ribbed stocking cap with turned up edge, amber brown glass inset eyes, sculpted brows, nose, closed mouth with shaded and outlined lips, composition and wooden ball-jointed body, nicely costumed in red cotton dress, undergarments.  Condition:  generally excellent.  Comments:  circa 1920, possibly the work of American folk artist Leo Moss…  Value Points:  despite its mystery origin, the doll has a compelling facial sculpture, unusual sculpted hat and hair, and fine patina.

On January 5, 2008, a fine example of a Leo Moss doll realized a price of $8,000.00 in a Theriault’s auction.

Another teary-eyed Moss doll, circa 1901

Very Rare American Paper Mache Black Character Child Attributed to Leo Moss

 17" (43 cm) Hand-pressed paper mache head with flanged neck, rich black complexion and hair, sculpted very tight short curly hair with details of curls tumbling onto the forehead, sculpted angled black brows, heavily lidded inset brown eyes with black eyeliner, broad rounded nose, closed mouth with full pouting downcast lips, very plump cheeks, three modeled tears on cheeks as though falling from eyes, brown muslin torso and upper legs, composition lower limbs, wearing white cotton dress, undergarments, shoes, stockings.  Condition:   generally excellent.   Marks: 1901 LM. Comments:  attributed to Leo Moss, circa [1901.  The] itinerant black carpenter of Georgia is believed to have created a small number of one-of-a-kind dolls depicting children of his small town world; his materials were those [found-on-hand,] for example the left-over scraps of wall paper from his day job.  The tearful faced children were signature to his style, and each was created uniquely.  Value Points:  rare American doll with outstanding sculpting and portraiture, enhanced by the mysterious background of the artist, superb state of preservation.

The following Leo Moss doll was offered in a Morphy auction on October 23, 2010.  The estimated value was between $4,000.00 and $6,500.00.

Rex by Leo Moss, circa 1912

Rare & Desirable Black Character Doll by Leo Moss

This doll has a socket head incised L.M. with molded black curly hair, inset glass eyes, pouty mouth and crying expression with two tears.  Leo Moss dolls with tears are particularly desirable, as it is said that these were made to express his sadness after his wife left him.  [Doll has] cloth body with composition arms and legs with label sewn on chest, “Rex 1912.” Very cute sailor suit looks original, stockings and antique shoes.  Usually dolls were named after the person they were made for.  This doll was from the collection of Lenon Hoyt [sic]* and was displayed in her “Aunt Len’s Doll Museum” in New York City, and sold at Sotheby’s in 1994… Condition:  excellent.  Size 17" T.

The above-described doll, Rex, sold for $10,350.00 in the October 23, 2010, Morphy auction.  *Hoyte is the correct spelling of the previous owner’s surname.  Interestingly, the same doll is included as item 332 in the 1994 Sotheby’s auction catalog, The Collection of Lenon Holder Hoyte Exhibited as “Aunt Len’s Doll and Toy Museum.”  In the Sotheby’s catalog, the doll’s description follows the following catalog image.  

Item 332 in the 1994 Sotheby’s auction catalog

So-called ‘Leo Moss’ Composition Head Black Doll, modern, L.M. scratched into back of head, character face with fixed brown glass eyes, downturned mouth, knitted brows, tears falling from eyes, fabric body with composition lower arms, wearing white cotton shirt with sailor collar, matching pants, socks and blue oilcloth shoes.  Height 18 in (45.7cm) $400-600

Known as “Rex” in the Morphy auction, the Sotheby’s description does not include the doll’s name.  It also questionably categorizes the doll as modern.  In addition to “Rex,” Ms. Hoyte’s online biography documents her ownership of at least two other dolls attributed to Leo Moss.  “After 40 years as an art and special education teacher in New York City public schools, Lenon Hoyte—commonly known as Aunt Len—founded Aunt Len's Doll and Toy Museum in her Harlem home…  Hoyte's collection included extremely rare black dolls from the nineteenth century.  Among them were rag dolls made by slaves from scraps of fabric, muslin, and feed bags.  A pair of [paper mache] dolls named Lillian and Leo had been made by Leo Moss, a nineteenth-century black handyman from Atlanta.   Lillian and Leo had tears running down their cheeks.”

In a November 19, 2011, Theriault’s auction, the following doll is described with a realized price of $2,500.00.

Circa 1920 Leo Moss character baby sold in a Theriaut's auction on November 19, 2011.

American Hand-Sculpted Papier-Mache Black Character Baby, Possibly by Leo Moss

26" (66 cm) Hand-sculpted papier-mache of plump-faced child with rich dark brown complexion, deeply-set eye sockets with red lower edging, brown glass inset eyes, black [painted] brows and upper eyeliner, broad nose with upturned tip, very full lips of closed mouth, sculpted ears, black mohair wig over solid dome pate, stiffened brown muslin body with brown-painted composition lower arms and legs, wearing antique cotton pinafore dress, blouse, homespun cape with green soutache [trimmed] undergarments.  Condition:  generally excellent.  Comments: American, circa 1920, possibly Leo Moss of Macon, Georgia… Value Points:  wonderful and extremely rare American folk doll, with well-detailed characterization, original finish, in rare larger size; few examples of the Leo Moss dolls are known to exist.

An additional Moss doll offered between January 11 and 13, 2013, by Theriault’s realized a price of $7,500.00.

Portrait doll of Violet Mae Collins 6-12-1922 by Leo Moss

Very Rare American Paper Mache Black Character Doll… 26" (66 cm)  

Hand-pressed paper mache head with flanged neck, rich black complexion, sculpted black hair in very tight curls, sculpted angled black brows, heavily lidded inset brown eyes with black eyeliner, broad rounded nose, closed mouth with very full downcast lips in wistful expression, very plump cheeks, three modeled tears on cheeks, brown muslin torso and upper legs, composition lower limbs, wearing white cotton dress and sweater, undergarments, shoes, striped stockings. Condition:  generally excellent. Marks:  L.M. (head) Violet Mae Collins 6-12-1922 (hand lettered on torso).  Comments:  attributed to Leo Moss, circa 1920…  Value Points:  rare American doll with outstanding sculpting and portraiture, enhanced by the mysterious background of the artist, superb state of preservation.

Acquisition of a doll made by the gifted hands of the clever man who used found objects and existing doll parts to create dolls would certainly fulfill many collectors’ most imaginative dreams accompanied by enduring euphoria and possibly tears of joy.  While many doll collectors aspire to own an authentic Leo Moss doll, this can be quite cost prohibitive for most, as illustrated by the realized prices of recent Moss doll auctions.  For some, the next best thing to owning an original is acquiring one of the existing Moss doll replicas.  

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Through the Eyes of Leo Moss: His Story, His Dolls Part 3 of 4

Moss Doll Replicas

Many Moss replicas are so well done they can both satisfy a collector’s desire to own an original at a fraction of the cost as well as possibly mislead one to believe the reproduced version is authentic if not properly labeled a replica.  There are two known artists who made fine examples of Moss-type dolls and sold them as reproductions.  The late, Betty Formaz, the woman who introduced Moss dolls to the doll community, identified her circa 1970s through 1990s dolls as her Moss-type creations.  During the 1990s, Rubin Quintano, a quite capable doll artist, also made Moss-type replicas that bear his signature.   

30-inch Moss look-a-like by Betty Formaz

A 30-inch (76 cm) doll, which looks more male than female, made by Betty Formaz, has a composition-over-vinyl head with sculpted, tightly coiled, black hair; brown inset eyes, brown cloth body, and brown-painted vinyl arms and rigid-vinyl legs.  The doll arrived to its current owner dressed as a girl by its former owner or by Formaz, herself.  It is now dressed in unisex attire.  B-4MAZ in gold paint is written on the doll’s neck.  An index card that accompanied the doll to its new owner reads:  Baby large (pink print dress); one of a kind B. Formaz, 6/30/94; 5147, 400.00.  

Close-up of 30-inch Formaz Moss look-a-like

It appears Formaz used a circa 1970s manufactured white doll to create this Moss look-a-like whose papier-mâché face is sculpted over the doll’s existing head.    

16-inch Leo Moss type by Betty Formaz

A 16-inch (41 cm) doll by Betty Formaz, whose gender is also ambiguous, from the collection of Yvonne Peters, was made similar to the 30-inch doll described previously.  This baby has composition-over-vinyl head with similarly sculpted black coils for hair.  The eyes, which were probably originally brown, have changed to a purplish color, a flaw that often occurs with acrylic eyes used in some artist dolls made during the 1980s and 1990s.  The vinyl arms are brown as is the firmly packed fabric body.  The baby wears a well-made tan romper with antique lace at bodice and button flap opening in back with gathered fabric at the belted waist.  Displayed in a basket lined with a sage green floral print quilt with the same fabric wrapped around the handle of the basket, the baby’s neck is marked 4MAZ in gold. 

15-inch Leo Moss-inspired baby by Betty Formaz

A 15-inch (38 cm) Leo Moss-inspired character baby by Betty Formaz has porcelain head and hands; dark brown, almost black stockinette body, upper arms, legs, and feet; brown inset eyes and teardrops on cheeks.   

In addition to its acrylic tears, frowning eyebrows further illustrate this baby’s displeasure.  The open/closed mouth exposes a molded tongue.  The baby has black hair of short, tight curls, the top-center of which falls into a Widow’s peak.  Its outfit consists of a hand-sewn pink and white gingham dress, matching bonnet with ruffled trim and floral appliqué, and matching undergarment.  White socks and pink felt Mary Jane shoes with black soles cover the feet.  On the neck, the baby is signed B. Formaz in gold paint. 

A doll with similar features as the above-described baby by Formaz appears on page 386 of Perkins’ Black Dolls an Identification and Value Guide Book II (BD book 2).  This circa late-1980s to early-1990s porcelain and cloth Moss-inspired doll by Formaz is larger at 20 inches (50 cm).  Other Formaz-made Moss-type dolls are also described on pages 386 and 387 of this publication.  They are:  Myla, a 20-inch (50 cm) papier-mâché and cloth doll; a 28-inch (71 cm) unnamed girl of papier-mâché and cloth; and Edgar, a 28-inch (71 cm) papier-mâché, composition, and cloth doll named for Perkins’ husband.  Illustrated and described in Perkins’ BD book 1 on page 315 are two porcelain and cloth crying children.  Except for their gender and clothing, Ruby and Leo, by Formaz, appear identical and stand 18-1/2 inches (47 cm) tall. 

Formaz used a variety of marks for her dolls.   4MAZ, B-4MAZ, B. Formaz, Betty Formaz, by Betty Formaz are documented as Formaz marks.  Rubin Quintano’s known doll marks were his initials, R.Q. possibly preceded and followed by numbers on the nape of his dolls’ necks.  The latter number perhaps indicates the year the doll was made.  It is uncertain what the preceding number represents. 

Cecily is a 22-inch Moss-type doll by Rubin Quintano, circa 1992.

Cecily by Quintano, measured by her current owner, is a 22-inch (55 cm) Leo Moss-type doll made of papier-mâché over composition with black cloth body.  

Cecily in a close-up photo

The frowning eyebrows and molded tears depict Cecily’s unhappy disposition.  The doll has large brown inset eyes and short black hair with molded curls.  Cecily wears a light blue tea-stained dress, white pantaloons, white socks, and light blue shoes.  Pinned to the front of the dress is a tag with “Cecily R.Q.” handwritten on it.  In red paint on the nape of the neck, Cecily is marked:  204-R.Q. 92.     According to the former owner, Phyllis Schlatter, Cecily was purchased at a UFDC Convention in Indianapolis in 1992.  (This might have been a regional event).  Cecily is also featured in BD book 2, page 417, wherein Phyllis provides for Perkins a description of Quintano’s doll-making process.  Stripping the paint from composition dolls, repainting them and remolding the head with Moss doll characteristics resulted in his nice Moss doll replicas.  According to Schlatter, Quintano added new inset eyes and new bodies.   Note that in BD book 2, Cecily’s name is spelled “Cicely” and her height is recorded as 23 inches (58 cm).

14-1/2-inch Moss-type doll by R. Quintano from the collection of Vicky Forbes

Another example of a Quintano Moss look-a-like is from the collection of Vicky Forbes.  This baby, with a sad expression, is without tears, stands 15-1/2-inches (39 cm) tall, and has a composition-type head connected to a shoulder plate of the same material.

Like Quintano’s Cecily, Forbes’ doll has molded hair of short, curly texture with the addition of a sculpted loop of hair through which a fabric ribbon is tied. This doll also has inset brown eyes.  The black fabric body is firmly stuffed.   This unnamed baby is dressed in a red and white large check dress which is believed to be original.  The neck is marked R.Q. in red paint.  Forbes purchased her Moss-type at an auction during the 1990s.

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