Name: Early Reborn Dolls Caleb and Jordan Michael
Made by and When: An independent reborn artist, 2004
Material: Vinyl, stuffed cloth, plastic pellets, synthetic hair, mohair
Marks: Berenguer© is Caleb’s head mark. A Juan is Jordan Michael’s head mark.
Height: 21 and 18 inches, respectively
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Both dolls have hand-rooted hair. Red synthetic hair was used for Caleb. Dark brown mohair was used for Jordan Michael, which curls when wet. They both have glass eyes with applied upper eyelashes. Caleb’s mouth is closed. Jordan Michael has an open/closed mouth with a hole to accommodate a bottle nipple.
Clothes: Dressed in infant and preemie-size clothing, respectively, this is one of the appealing attributes of reborn dolls.
Other: These early reborn dolls from 2004 were made by an independent doll artist using manufactured doll heads and separate bodies that the artist stuffed with polyfill and weighted with pellets. The vinyl was dyed or painted and blushed in all the right places to create the desired complexion hues. The hair was individually rooted into the heads for a more realistic appearance.
Formerly a Berenguer doll, Caleb was reborn in the likeness of the curator’s grandson by hand-rooting red synthetic hair, applying eyelashes, inserting glass eyes, attaching a new body, and dying the original Caucasian complexion to a sun-kissed African American skin tone.
Jordan Michael uses the Antonio Juan “Nati” head sculpt and limbs. Using exceptional reborn artistry, this former Caucasian doll is now a beautiful, lifelike 18-inch preemie with realistic hair that appears to be growing from the scalp.
Gallery
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