Marie-Christine Kaufmann

azalee dolls

Dreams, captured and casted in porcelain. Learn how porcelain ball-jointed dolls are made. Be there when your own dream takes shape.

About my dolls





 I want you to know first
 and this is very important:


  • Porcelain dolls are very valuable and delicate masterpieces of art.
  • They are not toys in the common meaning and absolutely not suitable for children.




Azalee dolls are all hand made ball jointed dolls. They are able to hold poses and move naturally. Made of high quality porcelain and china paint, which is fired at a high temperature, the dolls are made to give you pleasure for a lifetime, if handled with care.


The dolls will not lose their colors, because they were glazed on the porcelain. Since the body parts are connected with steel strings, the stability is maintained over a long period of time.


The  handmade wigs and dresses are all changeable, so you will be able to customize your doll.





How are they made?


It all starts with a sketch, which size and proportions the doll should have at the end. Should the proportions be more artistic or more natural? Will the joints be double- or single-ball-joints?




After these decitions are made, the work continues with sculpting the prototype.  I prefer using polymerclay for this process, but other artists prefer air-drying paperclay. It's a matter of taste and you have to try out which material suits you best.


While sculpting the master model, I have to keep in mind that the porcelain will shrink up to 20% during the high-firing prozess.


The sculpting step is one of the most challengings for me, especially the joints. They not only have to look natural, but also accurately fit into each other.


With working on details, keep an eye on symmetry, smoothening out everything, sand and polish, it will take  months to make the protoype.



After completition the master model, it's time to pour the plaster molds. That is always a very messy part of the job. But its worth investing enough time in the work. The better the molds fit, the less work you will have after the porcelain is poured.



After removing the porcelain from the molds, the pieces look very raw and incomplete. It takes several hours to prepare them for the first firing. 

At this stage porcelain is still very fragile an can crumble with every touch.



When all the parts have been processed, it's time for the first firing. It takes 6-8 hours at a maximum temperature of 960 °. After this firing, the porcelain is no longer soluble in water, but it can  still be made corrections. Followed by the water bath and final sanding until the parts are perfect for the high fire which takes two hours at a maximum temperature of 1200°.

During this process, the porcellain shrinks to its final size and gets its typical gloss and transparency.



Now it's time for the doll to come more and more alive. Layer after Layer of chinapaint, which is glaced on the porcelain, gives the doll its final look. This is one of the most magical moments for me in dollmaking. It's amazing, how the white porcelain comes to live, just with a little amount of shading.

Since chinapaint is translucent and will flow into each other if not carefully applied, it takes up to seven layers until, the color is intense enough.

Each layer takes a firing of two hours at 690°, which means a whole day for cooling down until the next layer can be applied.
 


After up to 8 firings, the doll is finaly ready to get its leather lining and to be assembled. This is the most magigal moment, when the doll parts come togehter and a new creature comes to life.