Name: Brother Jake Giving Thanks and Miss Estelle on Sunday Morning
Made by and When: Carole Marie Creations by Mary E. Washington, 1990
Material: Porcelain heads, lower arms/hands, lower legs and feet; cloth bodies with armature in arms; synthetic wigs, acrylic eyes (Miss Estelle), mixed textiles for clothing
Marks: (Brother Jake) Handwritten on the cloth stomach: #4 / Mary E. Washington / 5/30/90. Hangtag reads: #4 / Mary E. Washington / 5/30/90 (in handwriting); (in print) An Original Hand Sculptured By Mrs. Mary E. Washington Dollmaker/Artist. Name of Doll: Brother Jake Giving Thanks. Limited Edition 25.
(Miss Estelle) Handwritten on the left leg: #8 / Mary E. Washington / 5/30/90. Hangtag reads: An Original Hand Sculptured By Mrs. Mary E. Washington / Dollmaker/Artist. Name of Doll: Miss Estelle on Sunday Morning Limited Edition 25. Top left on the hangtag below #8 in handwriting: Mary E. Washington / 5/30/90.
©1989 is on both hangtags.
Height: 18 inches
Brother Jake
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Has male-pattern baldness with white hand-applied synthetic hair around the sides of the head, closed eyes with white-painted eyelashes and eyebrows, closed mouth with down-turned lips
Clothes: Dressed in a white embossed shirt, burgundy-patterned silk tie, black wool suit, brown belt, and painted-on black shoes. Wears a gold-tone wedding band on the left ring finger.
Miss Estelle
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Has a handmade salt and pepper short curly wig, inset brown eyes with painted upper and lower eyelashes, a closed mouth with dark red lip color
Clothes: Wears a black and white floral-print silk dress with a rhombus-shaped lace-trimmed collar with inserted white satin fabric, white satin slip, white taffeta pantalettes, and black panted-on low-heeled shoes. Jewelry includes a rhinestone and silver-tone brooch, a faux pearl necklace, a black beaded necklace, and faux pearl drop earrings. This doll is possibly missing a black straw church hat.
Other: Brother Jake Giving Thanks and Miss Estelle on Sunday Morning are part of Mary E. Washington’s Religious Characters series. In her book, From Slavery to Great Achievers a Doll Maker’s Tribute to Outstanding African Americans Carole Marie Creations, Brother Jake is described as “the person often called upon to pray, because of his unique manner of ‘Talking to God’.” Miss Estelle on Sunday Morning is the artist’s first original doll in porcelain. She represents a Proverbs 31:25-26 woman, “She is a woman of strength and dignity, and has no fear of old age. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule of everything she says.”
After making antique reproduction dolls that date back to 1988, Mary E. Washington was encouraged by the late Mrs. Beatrice Wright Brewington (the artist’s friend and mentor) to create her own original dolls. According to Mrs. Washington, Brewington said, “A person is never recognized for doing other people’s work.”
Three different Miss Estelle dolls from the limited edition of 25 are featured on pages 87 and 151, and on the back cover of the artist’s book. All three dolls wear elaborate black church hats.
Learn more about Mary E. Washington in a profile published in the Summer 2002 issue of Black Doll-E-Zine.
Gallery
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