Unique wooden dolls
Handmade art pieces designed by Elisabeth Pongratz-Schöfer
Anniversary Calendar № 40 now available
The year 1986 was the first year in which Elisabeth Pongratz published a doll calendar. Originally intended as a medium for distributing new products, the calendar quickly developed into a sought-after collector's item. We are delighted to be able to present a new doll calendar for the 40th time. As in previous years, twelve doll photos from nature and the studio will accompany you through the new year 2025.
We have been creating works of art since 1979
Our dolls are handcrafted from wood and natural textiles. Our idea is to give traditional children's toys made from valuable materials a timeless, appealing design through craftsmanship and artistic skill. Our dolls are made to be played with. They therefore acquire a patina over time and can accompany you for a lifetime.
The heads and body parts are milled from various types of wood based on a bronze or computer model. Then each piece is sanded smooth by hand to give it a silky-soft surface. The eyes and mouths are painted on freehand with a brush. This means that our artistic skills are not only evident in the underlying model, but also in the design of each individual doll. Our dolls wear knotted wigs made of animal hair with finely braided hairstyles or sewn short-haired wigs made of mohair plush. The baby dolls' hair is painted on.
It is the joy of the different materials and colors as well as the handcrafting techniques that we use to create our dolls' clothes in our unmistakable style. The designs for the characteristic knitted clothes are inspired by traditional knitting, among other things. Sewing on a small scale is a particular challenge, as we also value perfect craftsmanship here.
With the postcard calendars we have created a means of illustrating the sources of inspiration and larger ideas from which we design our dolls. Every year, for 40 years, we have been staging aesthetic, beautiful and appealing scenes with our dolls.
We make dolls
Wooden dolls
Milled from solid wood, our wooden dolls are something very special. The joints allow the dolls to move. We use both maple and walnut, the grain gives them a strong, natural expression. Each of the faces is painted by hand with a brush. The hair can also be painted, or they wear finely braided hairstyles made of yak hair or mohair. These beautiful dolls are rounded off by their clothing. Fine natural materials such as silk and wool are used, and are made with dedication and a lot of skill.
Baby dolls
Just like living babies, our dolls need support. The heavy wooden head and the finely crafted fabric body filled with sand invite you to hold the babies in your arms and support them. The hand-painted faces, in combination with the grain of the wood, make each doll unique. Inspired by the knitting skills of the north, the babies are dressed in wonderful knitted suits. Virgin wool, angora and mohair are used in a sophisticated way in the production process.
Fatschen
We designed our Fatschen inspired by a long tradition from the Berchtesgadener Land and South Tyrol. They are stylized to represent a swaddled child. Milled from a single piece, they are then sanded by hand until they have their velvety soft surface. These unique hand-warmers invite you to touch and play with them; the warm wood feels wonderful in your hand.
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