Kewpie by Rose O'Neill an Original 15" Cameo Art Quality Doll by Jesco - collectibles - by owner - sale - craigslist (2024)

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Kewpie by Rose O'Neill an Original 15" Cameo Art Quality Doll by Jesco - collectibles - by owner - sale - craigslist (1)

condition: like new

make / manufacturer: Jesco by Rosie O'Neill

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Kewpie by Rose O'Neill an Original 15" Cameo Art Quality Doll by Jesco - no box (SOLD AS IS)

NOTE: Joseph Kallus could have assigned the rights to Kewpie to any of several major American doll companies who wanted them. Instead he chose Nancy Villasenor of Jesco.

Kewpie began as illustrations in the Woman's Home Companion in 1909. Kewpie was a saucy little Cupid-type as conceived by his creator Rose O'Neill (1874-1944). Kewpie became so popular that there was such a demand for the Kewpie comic strips, lamps, dishes, postcards, and many other commercial items including dolls. In 1911 O'Neill advertised for a sculptor who could translate her Kewpie design into a doll form. Joseph Kallus, a young student at Pratt Art Institute, applied for the assignment and became a life-long associate of Rose O'Neill. He sculpted the models for the first bisque and the celluloid Kewpie dolls that were made in Germany, in 1913.

In 1925 Kallus founded the Cameo Doll Company and produced many dolls from his own design. His creations were also made into dolls by other firms. Kallus designed Scootles, Joy, Margie, Pinocchio for Ideal, Miss Peep and many others. When Rose O'Neill died in 1944 she assigned all merchandising rights to Joseph Kallus. In 1969 when Kallus retired from active participation in the doll industry he licensed Strombecker and later the Milton- Bradley Company to manufacture Kewpie. The Kewpie and Cameo properties now belonged to Jesco Imports, Inc., of Los Angeles, California.

In 1982 Nancy Villasenor, the President of Jesco, met with Joseph Kallus to discuss the Kewpie properties. Villasenor was inspired in this decision by her partner Jim Skahill, the vice president of Jesco. Skahill had a toy import business in California and he imported such dolls lines as Italocrernoma, Migliorati, Corolle, CR Club, and about 20 others. In 1971 he had hired Nancy Villasenor, shortly after she graduated form U.C.L.A., to act as a sales representative to sell dolls from the lines imported from Europe, and dolls from some American companies.

While working in the import business Nancy became exposed to many of the "better" dolls, and of all the toy companies that she represented and sold for, dolls became her chief interest. She was convinced by Skahill to begin to manufacture dolls for a company that she would found.

In the spring of 1982 Nancy went to New York to meet with Joseph Kallus, then age 89, to discuss licensing arrangements for making Kewpie dolls. Kallus saw in Nancy a person who would do with Kewpie as he had done. He said that he was not interested in making money at his age as he was in continuing the traditions of excellence that had always been associated with Kewpie and with Cameo and he thought that Nancy would do this. Kallus agreed to assign all the rights to Kewpie and all the rights to Cameo design to Nancy Villasenor when he realized that her business goals equaled his: She was committed to developing a business based on quality toys for the quality toy market.

After Kallus And Villasenor had concluded the initial part of their business arrangement, he was injured in a traffic accident and died suddenly. Rita Abraham, Kallus' daughter who had no interest in her father's designs, met with Nancy Villasenor when she went to New York to supervise the transportation to California of the original Kewpie and Cameo molds. Mrs. Abraham wanted Nancy to have the 12 trunks of Cameo design dolls, clothing patterns, and Rose O'Neill art work that Mr. Kallus had stored in his apartment, along with many boxes of files and business records.

Villasenor's first Kewpies released in 1983, were a re-issue of the 27 inch (68.6cm) Kewpie of 1966; "Yesterday's Kewpie," a 16 inch (40.6cm) dressed in outfits from the past; and "Kewpie Goes...," a 12 inch (30.5cm) series in various theme- oriented clothing designs.

The re-issued Kewpie from 1966 for collectors as made by Jesco is slightly smaller than the original version. This is because the older version was made from a stock body and legs, whereas the Kewpie made by Jesco is cast from Kallus' original molds. Nancy Villasenor reported that, "it would have been more cost effective to make new molds, but we were committed to using the original molds as we promised Joseph Kallus."

The series of 16 in (40.6cm) Kewpies are modeled after the designs that Cameo issued in 1961. The series of 12 inch (30.5) designs have clothing designed by Shirley Pepys (who is a descendant of Samuel Pepys, whose famous diary was a record of the social and political life of the time when it was published in 1825.) These Kewpies also meet with the objectives of Kallus and Villasenor: "to make Kewpie available for the enjoyment of children and to satisfy the Kewpie hunger of collectors."

Nancy Villasenor and Jim Skahill have given up much of their European product import company to concentrate on developing and manufacturing Cameo designs by Joseph Kallus. Their dolls are manufactured in California, from American components. Jesco promised to pursue two directions relating to Cameo dolls, continuing the tradition of Joseph Kallus. Doll design, development and manufacture will expand in both areas. Jesco does not take any short-cuts, such as using cheaper blow-molded doll bodies. Jesco's attitude is that its growth pattern should be for "better dolls," not for "more dolls."
In addition to the return of Kewpie for 1983, Jesco has also developed a series of 15 high-quality dolls in the selection called "Cameo's Storybook." These are familiar characters from children's fiction, like Goldilocks, Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio. Doll collectors and children of all ages are delighted that Kewpie is back again - and back to stay at Jesco.

Original hang tag, no stains, marks, damage to the doll. Asking only $75.00 for this Kewpie doll. If interested, call and ask for Brian. Eight zero eight nine two seven one one six seven.

**NOTE** Will not answer emails, texts, restricted or blocked calls, any SPAM calls, and no caller id's.

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    Kewpie by Rose O'Neill an Original 15" Cameo Art Quality Doll by Jesco - collectibles - by owner - sale - craigslist (2024)

    FAQs

    What year was the Kewpie doll made? ›

    The Kewpie dolls were invented as a comic strip by Rose O'Neill. The characters in this comic were baby cupids. In 1909, Rose O'Neill created paper dolls of the cupids to sell and in 1912 Germany started making these dolls out of bisque (or porcelain).

    What is the significance of the Kewpie doll? ›

    The first style of Kewpie was depicted in the early 1900's Ladies Home Journal and Woman's Companion, as a symbol of innocence and love. Reminiscent of the Roman God of Love; Cupid.

    Who was the American illustrator she created the Kewpie doll? ›

    Kewpie dolls are the creation of Rose O'Neill, a child prodigy, a suffragette, and a self-trained fine artist who was the highest-paid female commercial illustrator of the early 20th century. O'Neill created Kewpies in 1909, when they first appeared in her illustration for a popular women's magazine.

    Are old Kewpie dolls worth anything? ›

    A kewpie doll's worth is determined by its size and material used. A 10-inch Kewpie with a bisque head, composition body, and glass eyes is worth $6,500 while a 20-inch doll is valued at $20,000. Many of the original, small-sized German-produced bisque Kewpies range from $200–$500.

    How to identify a Kewpie doll? ›

    The American composition dolls also had the distinctive heart-shaped decal on the chest, reading "Kewpies, des. & copyright by Rose O'Neill." Like the original bisque models, some of the composition Kewpies were also hand-signed by O'Neill, and they all included jointed arms.

    What does Kewpie mean in Japanese? ›

    Kewpie (キユーピー, spelling kiyūpī, pronunciation kyūpī)—often misspelled kyūpī (キューピー) according to the pronunciation—is a Japanese brand of mayonnaise, and the name of the company that makes it.

    Are Kewpie dolls still made? ›

    These are some examples of Kewpie dolls, from the first Rose O'Neill antique bisque Kewpies all the way through to modern Kewpie dolls currently being produced by Charisma Dolls Company.

    What is the Kewpie doll appearance disorder? ›

    The Kewpie doll effect is a term used in developmental psychology derived from research in ethology to help explain how a child's physical features, such as lengthened forehead and rounded face, motivate the infant's caregiver to take care of them. The child's physical features are said to resemble a Kewpie doll.

    How much is Kewpie? ›

    ₱188.00. “KEWPIE Mayonnaise” is Kewpie's flagship product, and has been cherished by consumers across Japan since 1925. It goes well with salad, sandwiches, sushi, and much more. Be creative and enjoy fancy dish accompanied by KEWPIE Mayonnaise!

    Do Kewpie dolls have wings? ›

    As demand grew for O'Neill's Kewpies, a myriad of images were made that included paper dolls, banks, soaps, prints, celluloid and composition dolls, post cards, and salt and pepper shakers. Your doll's rosy cheeks, toes, eyes glancing to the side, starfish hands and little blue wings are typical of the lovable scamp.

    What is a Kewpie slang? ›

    1. (US) a fool, an unsophisticated person. 1920. 19201930194019501960.

    What is the oldest doll ever made? ›

    Dolls are said to have existed as early as the Paleolithic Era (roughly 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 B.C.). The eldest one, discovered in Siberia in 2017, had a head carved from soapstone and a body made of organic materials which have since then decomposed. It is believed to be over 4,500 years old.

    When was Kewpie Mayo invented? ›

    In 1925, based on his desire to “help improve the physiques and health of Japanese people by making delicious, nutritious mayonnaise so widely available that it becomes a daily necessity,” the Company launched KEWPIE Mayonnaise, a highly nutritious egg-yolk type mayonnaise.

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