What is a Kewpie doll?

Kewpie dolls refer to a highly collectible brand of dolls and figurines. The baby "cupid" cartoon characters were originally created by Rose O'Neill in 1909 for her comic strip. O'Neill then created two-sided paper dolls; she was approached in 1912 about turning her designs into porcelain bisque dolls.

Production of the bisque dolls originally began in Germany, but moved after World War I. Shortly thereafter they began production in America. Kewpie dolls were made until O'Neil died in 1944. Reproductions of the original dolls and manufacture of plastic versions of them continued until the late 1990s. O'Neill personally signed many of the original dolls produced in Germany and America.