Small Mystery Dolls' Doll House.

Description American, ca. 1880. A charming four-room Mystery House in the very rare petite size – only a handful of these smaller houses have been documented. The richly detailed exterior features all the details that endear these uniquely American dollhouses to collectors: characteristic stained and varnished Victorian fretwork door and window moldings and typical rusticated quoining on the corners providing an attractive contrast to the robin's egg blue background paint. The gable roof is subtly painted to simulate slates and features a single flat dormer window in the peaked roof that opens for access to an attic room with original papers and curtains. The exterior base paint was restored when later paint was removed by a previous owner. Some original mica glitter remains on the molded cornices. The esteemed and late Flora Gill Jacobs speculated that this glitter treatment, unique to Mystery houses, was added to houses marketed by FAO Schwarz at Christmas-time. The straight-forward interior retains all its original wallpapers (so often missing from Mystery houses), and original painted fancy parquet floor treatments. Other original features include painted paneled doors, moldings and generously sized windows with original trimwork. Lace curtains added. Some wallpaper stains inside front panels are overpainted, one piece of inside front door trim and one baseboard are missing, and one piece of cabinet door hardware missing. This house was featured in Antique Doll Collector Magazine May 2005 and recently displayed at a museum exhibit in New Jersey. Condition (Excellent). Size 29" x 25" x 15 - 1/2".