Bidspirit auction | Vintage Painted Paper Mache Watermelon

Vintage Painted Paper Mache Watermelon Form Case with Jointed Celluloid Doll - This lot features a piece of Black Americana folk art consisting of a two-piece hand-painted container and a miniature doll. The container is constructed of paper mache, molded into an ovoid form and painted to represent a stylized watermelon. One half serves as a lid and is decorated with a caricature face featuring large white eyes with blue pupils, an orange bulbous nose, and a wide red mouth with painted white teeth. The exterior of the shell is finished in a dark green hue with darker striations to mimic rind texture. The interior of the shell is finished in a plain tan or salmon-colored wash. The interior contains a dark-toned miniature doll made of celluloid. The doll features molded hair, facial features, and is articulated with pin-jointed shoulders and hips. It is dressed in a simple cream-colored cloth diaper fastened with a small metal safety pin. There are no maker marks, labels, or country of origin markings visible on either the paper mache shell or the doll. The paper mache shell shows signs of age and wear, including paint loss and chipping along the joining edges of the two halves (photo 3). The interior doll has sustained significant structural damage; there is a large vertical fracture and loss of material to the center of the face and forehead (photo 4 and 6). The right arm is detached from the shoulder joint but remains present (photo 6). The cloth diaper shows minor fraying and discoloration consistent with age.