I enjoyed making these, a very challenging DIY (do it yourself) hobby.   I love antique dolls but cannot afford the really nice ones that can cost as much from $2,000-$200,000.

     These are reproductions of Carl Schneider's "piano babies" dating from mid-to-late 1800's.  These figurines would be used to hold down the piano scarves on top of pianos in Victorian/Edwardian homes.
     I decided to paint these "counterfeit antique" piano babies in the "doll-style", to fit in with my other antique & antique-style dolls, rather than the original antique german figurines which were painted very quickly, simply, cheaply and orange-colored.   Since these are german, I'd paint them like antique German dolls ("Simon & Halbig", "Kestner").
 

You get the figurine as "greenware" (dried, solidified porcelain dust).  Take off all the mold seam lines, rework bulges, correct all imperfections--not easy as the greenware is extremely delicate (a  leg can pop-off in your hand very easily), then bisque fire it.   The molds are very complicated, so it's easy to have imperfections.  After everything is perfectly smooth and corrected, do a bisque fire.

Fixing Breaks:  You can re-attach broken parts making a paste of wet porcelain dust and using it as glue.  Wet both broken ends, and use a small  paint brush to apply the "glue", then stick the parts together and hold them. Use the brush to massage more wet porcelain into the cracks. 

Then you start your china painting, using real antiques or photos of antiques as a reference. You might fire between paintings just to protect existing paint from smearing.

These took about 10 paintings and firings in the kiln to complete.  You start with china paints, "antique" the folds of the clothes with a dark blue-gray translucent wash, and put a dark german flesh wash on the skin.

     I am not really interested in selling, as it's now very hard for me to replace them, but if the price is fair for the labor & kiln fees, like $500 to make a future pair, I could change my mind (ie. I'm not dying to sell them, sorry).

     IF you wish to make your own, which is really fun, contact: http://www.adceramicndoll.com for doll molds.

     For other kinds of dolls, contact:

•  Jamie Englert, http://www.jamie-englert-dolls.com . She offers classes, and is a very fun, sweet lady.  She can make you a new museum quality "antique" doll, or use your doll or parts to make a finished "antique" museum doll.  She can also get new eyes, or sleep eyes for your doll, as well as paints, and museum quality costumes.
•  Arlene's Dolls, Arlene Martinez: 360-687-4321, arlenedoll@aol.com.  She offers classes, is a very fun, sweet lady.  She sells antique dolls, doll eyes & sleep eyes, performs high-end doll repair, and appraisal for insuring or selling your fine antique/artist dolls.