Name: Little Souls “Omni Belle”
Made by Whom and When: Gretchen Wilson, 2004
Material: Cotton-knit blend, stuffing
Marks: The back of the left hand is signed, ©2004 / Little Souls Inc. / “Village”/ Created by / Gretchen Wilson.
Height: 24 inches
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Black synthetic hair styled in two waist-length pigtails accented with yellow ribbons, black bead eyes, stitched nose and mouth
Clothing: Pink and white floral dress, white skirt with pink embroidered flowers, mint green floral pocketed apron, yellow floral pantaloons, pink floral socks, black patent-leather Mary Jane shoes for the over-sized feet, pink felt hat with flower accents, pencils, and ceramic books attached; has yellow hair ribbons; holds a mock book Little Men that has a storage compartment.
Other: Little Souls dolls are one-of-a-kind cloth dolls known for their characteristically large feet. Acquired on the secondary market, this doll’s original name is unknown; the curator named the doll, Omni Belle. A portion of the inside hang tag text reads, “Little Souls® are Gretchen Wilson creations. Her textile designs are brought to life by a creative group of artists and special friends. Together we celebrate the spirit of children… Little Souls are delightful reminders of childhood wonder. Our wish is for Little Souls to reflect the child in all of us, to whimsically recapture the spirit and innocence we may have lost along the way” (Little Souls Dolls).
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