3 More Antique French "Pantine" Paper Dolls

I'm back with 3 more antique "Pantin" paper dolls, I've restored and turned 

into digital downloads for your crafting pleasure.

 As with all my EKDuncan designs you are more than welcome to: craft, share and even create handmade items to sell using my images.  I just ask that you do not claim these items as yours nor try sell any of my images.  Yes, in many case I start with a vintage image; however an extensive amount of digital work goes into altering each image so it becomes unique and not just a posted copy of the original.  My Muse has put a lot of love into bringing these images back to life so a new generation can enjoy them at no charge.  I choose not to try and make a buck off my hard work and
I respectfully request others not to try and profit off my efforts.
I thank you and my Muse thanks you!

Now on to the new "Pantin" dolls for today!

Pantin - French for Jumping-Jack Puppet. Pantins were all the rage in mid 1700s French courts and high society.   The jointed dancing figure was a cross between puppet and paper doll and its popularity continued through the 1800's and into the early 1900's as a common child's play toy.

These figures were made of wood, heavy cardboard and even the more recent paper variety. 

 The Harlequin

The Harlequin - My updated version of a vintage French "Pantin" Dancing Paper Doll

The Harlequin - is a comic servant character from the Italian "Commedia dell'Arte".

d'Epinal a well known paper toy printer in France during the 1800's made several version of this character as they did with many others and he is most easily spotted by the diamond pattern on his outfits and usually wears a mask.  The Columbine character is his mistress.
 

This is the original vintage image I started with - from pilllpat at flickr

 Pilllpat at flickr has been generous enough to post an amazing assortment of vintage French paper products printed by d'Epinal in the1800's.  Among them is a nice assortment of "Jumping Jacks", including this fun harlequin figure.

I've reworked the original so that the outlines are sharper and the colors are brighter.  I've also cleaned up the runny colors that were overlapping into the inappropriate areas as well as adding in two more arms in reverse directions so he has more "posing" options without having to print a duplicate or reverse page.

He is such a fun character and can be assembled in a variety of ways depending on what you like.  

Cut and paste is a quick and easy method to putting him together but by attaching his limbs with brads or eyelets you then have a "movable" character.

You can take it one step further and create a "jumping-jack" figure just as this "pantin" was originally intended.

An example of a large "Jumping-Jack" with string can be seen  - HERE
See more about Jumping-Jacks HERE and on string assembly HERE
 
 I created a few digital png's of my harlequin to use in digital projects 

and thought I'd share those with you as well.
 

 For additional variety print "reverse" images so he can look off 

in a different direction as the first character shows.

Pierrette

My updated version on a vintage Pierrette "Pantin" paper doll

The Pierrot is a standard French pantomime character in the appearance of a clown or mime. 

You can see a few different examples of a Pierrot on my original "Pantin" post - HERE

The Pierrette is the female version and I find them much less creepy in appearance but I still can't say its one of my favorite characters in the "pantine" assortment; however I know may of you do like clowns and thought she would be a good one to update.

I started with another pilllipat image from flickr (the brighter image on the right). She has it listed as a harlequin, but as you can see by the first image on the left it is really a Pierrette and not a harlequin. Yes, believe it or not there is a difference in the parts the theatrical characters of harlequin and pierrot/pierrett play.  

Due to the way this character was created there really is not a lot of posing options for her, so I've only created the one png image just so you can see what she would look like put together.
 

She was put together "digitally" but this gives you an idea of what the doll would look like assembled.  Attaching her with brads or eyelets would articulate her so she could be moved or posed; and if you go the extra step to attach string to her jointed limbs you can have a true "jumping jack" doll.  If you go this route I strongly suggest you back all the parts with cardboard for durability.

Dover made a book many years ago with 11 Antique French Jumping Jack dolls and the front cover shows dolls similar to two of the pantins I have on this post, so I thought you might like to see it for caparison. You can still find this out of print book on sites like eBay and Etsy. 

out of print Dover publication

This cover shows what "string assembled" jumping jacks would look like.

I don't own the book so I'm unable to give you their assembly instructions; however,
my pantin paper doll assembly instruction sheet on how to make them dance can be found HERE 

An example of a large "Jumping-Jack" with string can be seen  - HERE
And some info on string assembly of a Jumping Jack can be seen -  HERE

Polichinelle

My updated version of Polichinelle -  The original image I started with can be seen on Flickr HERE

Polichinelle - French for the Commedia dell'Arte character Pulcinella aka "Punch"

He is a popular character in French theater -  a mocking and comical hunchback; 

 that is easily spotted by his big hooked nose and his protruding belly.

The Pantins I've seen of him, usually show him playing an instrument of some kind.

You can see a different version of him along with his wife on a previous post - HERE

I've created two png images of him but due to how he was created there are not many posing 

options for him.  Below I have him posed just slightly different and in reverse directions.

You could also opt when cutting him out to eliminate his "hunchback" and if you print him as is and in reverse you would have the option of giving him feet that would point in the same direction if you wanted that posing option.

There are a variety of colorful "Pantin" characters made by Images d'Epinal.

This leads me to believe that the line was quite popular and that many years of enjoyment 

was had by those who collected, assembled and played with these figures.  

I hope that these revised images will continue to be enjoyed for many more years to come.

I'll bring you another set in the near future.

Till Next Time...

Scottish Lass & Gypsy Pirate "Pantin" Paper Dolls

Today as I continue my series on French "Pantin" Jumping-Jack

 Paper Dolls I have two more fun figures to add to the collection. 

A Dancing Scottish Lass & A Gypsy Pirate 

Both figures are adaptations I've created using vintage images 

of jointed paper dolls that were produced in France in the 1800's

A nice selection of vintage "Pantin" paper dolls can be seen - HERE

The Scottish Lass "Dancing Doll"

Scottish Lass Dancing Paper Doll the makeover version by EKDuncan

This is my "cleaned" up version of the original vintage paper doll 

that can be seen on my previous post - HERE with her other playmates.

She was part of a sheet of 6 "Pantin" paper dolls.

And Here is what she looked like prior to restoration.

The original Lass is from a sheet posted by the generous Pilllpat (Agence Eureka) on Flickr - HERE

The inexpensive, mass-produced "Pantin" paper dolls that were printed on paper 

similar to news-sheets were not what would be termed "quality goods".

Due to the low cost and quick printing process of these sheets, it was not uncommon for there to be runny ink or inaccurate ink overlaps between the image and the color layer.  

Another issue was the lack of detailing on the faces; that caused them to appear "flat"

Occasionally deluxe versions of individual dolls or sets were created by a quality printer. The upscale "Pantins" were sold at book sellers/print shops and those dolls can be quite stunning.  

My goal was to give these more "common" dolls a look similar to those "quality" versions

 that would have been sold in upscale shops of their day and I think the makeovers went well.

Here are a few digital png images of created to show some of the poses you can create.

When these "Pantins" were originally created, what you saw is what you got; but with technology we can take it so many steps further.  I like to create digitally, so I've chosen to make digital dolls that I can flip and reverse direction at will like the middle doll shows. I like to have a few "extra" parts to play with so I can give her a great pose like the first doll shows - that required two duplicate arms.

My version of the doll has her "spruced up" and looking pretty. The stray ink has been removed and the uncolored areas have been corrected.  Here face also now has some color to give her a bit more depth and I've placed in a another set of arms so there is more variety in how she can be posed.

Consider printing this doll sheet in it's original format and also in reverse to give you more options in assembling the doll, especially if you are creating multiples of an image.

Yesterday I posted two Gypsy Dancer "Pantins" so I thought I'd you might 

like to see this Gypsy Pirate version of a Harlequin.

The Gypsy Pirate

My "Restored" version of a vintage "Pantin" Pirate Gypsy Paper Doll

I believe this "Pantin" was also produced by Epinal and he's a bit unusual in that he wears a harlequins costume, so I'm not sure if he really is a harlequin or not. Most of the harlequins I've seen in this paper doll line usually wear a mask and a few of the other characters that are not harlequins occasionally have a diamond pattern suite, so I think you can go either way with this fun character.

He is one of several vintage "Pantins" that were graciously posted on Flicker by "pilllpat"
 and I suggest if you are a lover of vintage paper toy images you spend some time browsing her gallery.  You can find him HERE along with many others in her photostream album.

Original vintage version of the Pirate Gypsy from pilllpat at flicker - HERE

He has so much character but once again is just a bit "flat" due to the coloring process he was created with in the 1800's  He was a great candidate for a digital makeover. I also discovered a bit of a problem with the original figure as I assembled him.  He had super long skinny legs that were a bit comical so I decided to alter them so he was a more robust looking pirate.

Below you can see my updated gypsy pirate in several fun poses.

These guys are digital png format paper dolls but you can create them for real by 

printing out the doll and assembling them with glue, brads or eyelets.

The digital images are fun but they are so much more entertaining if you actually assemble the doll. For greater versatility print them out multiple times and in "reverse" so you have more options in how to pose your character.  For instance the first gypsy pirate was created by adding in another sword arm in the same direction as the first; so to create him you would need to print the sheet twice in the same direction.  The last gypsy pirate has two legs pointing in the same direction but his torso is in reverse so it just a question of how you want to pose your character as to how many sheets you need to print and if you need to print any in "reverse".

To assemble these puppets I suggest printing them on a heavy paper and then backing that with a heavy cardstock or light chip board before cutting the parts out.  Small brads are perfect for joining the doll parts; however eyelets would work well too.  You can even create a double sided puppet by printing the sheet in reverse so you see the pretty side no matter which way you flip it.

To make a true "Jumping Jack" doll string is also used to 

connect the pieces so you can make the figure "dance".

In this case you want your brads or eyelets to be loosely fitted to the doll 

so that when you pull the string the limbs will move easily.
My Pantin paper doll assembly instruction sheet on how to make them dance can be found HERE 

An example of a large "Jumping-Jack" with string can be seen  - HERE
See more about Jumping-Jacks HERE and on string assembly HERE

I hope you like the two puppets I've posted today and that you are 

building a little collection of these interesting jointed paper dolls.  

I'd love to know if you create anything with them, so feel free to leave a note 

on how you will be using them. I'm sure others would love to store the idea away too. - grins

I'll have some more to add in soon, so check back by in a day or so to see who they will be.

Till Next Time...

Gypsy - Vintage French Pantine Paper Dolls

I'm having a bit of fun playing with vintage paper dolls once again.  

This time they are French "Pantins" from the 1800's and this is my third post in the series.

Today I thought I'd bring you a fun set of vintage gypsy dolls.

My adaptation of a vintage Gypsy Lady "Pantin" Jumping-Jack paper doll from the 1800's

These set of  Pantin aka dancing dolls are my updated interpretation of a vintage set 

originally created in France by Epinal - a well known printer of paper toys in the 1800's.

I created both of these dolls from this vintage sheet of French "Pantins" 

from the mid-late 1800's that I found on the Internet at flickr. 

This and may other vintage Epinal paper toys can be found there.

Vintage sheet of 6 Pantins - This sheet was posted by the generosity of pilllpat on flickr and can be found - HERE

This is what the vintage sheet of dolls looked like, and though nice in their original and rustic form I chose to take three of my favorites and clean them up digitally so I could use them in craft projects.

These old sheets are notorious for having runny and splotchy ink as well as flat, bland faces.

I spent my time working on only the images I wanted to use so I reworked the gypsies 

in the middle and the the Scottish lass dancer (I'll show here makeover on the next post).

I also chose to put in some extra arms in my versions so that you have more options on how to build your doll when putting it together. For additional options you can print a "reverse" of each doll just for more variety in how they look. 

For more information on how to put a "Pantin" doll together see my previous post - HERE
My Pantin paper doll assembly instruction sheet on how to make them dance can be found HERE  

For comparison here are the before and after looks at the two gypsies.

The original Gypsy Lady is from a sheet posted by the generous Pilllpat (Agence Eureka) on Flickr - HERE

I did not want to take out all the old world charm from the original but I did sharpen up the image, cleaned up the coloring issues, and colorized her face so she was not "washed-out".

I've arranged her differently, added in an additional set of arms in reverse from the original and created a second leg to match the other. (The two original legs are not proportional; it was especially apparent when you put the doll together with the legs side-by-side, so I correct it in my version.)

My altered version of the Gypsy Lady

The same process was done for the Male Gypsy

The Original Gypsy Man image is from a sheet posted by the generous Pilllpat (Agence Eureka) on Flickr - HERE

Once again it was an extensive digital process to sharpen the image, clean up the coloring 

issues and to give a bit more life to his face without removing the antique look of the piece.

His arrangement has also been changed from the original to accommodate the extra set of arms 

and I altered his proportions a bit "slimmed" his torso and limbs so he fit together better.

I like having versatility when putting together a jointed doll such as these; 

which is why I choose to incorporate extra arms on my renditions.

I created the next set of png format figures digitally; but they will give you an idea of how 

you can pose your dolls if you are gluing them together or attaching the limbs 

with brads or eyelets so you have a "movable" figure. 

Her appearance changes depending on how she is posed and which arm selections are chosen.

The center doll was "reversed" allowing her head to be turned 

in the opposite direction from the original.

There are several posing options for the Male Gypsy including 

reversing his direction as seen in the second figure.

Most computer printing programs and photo copy machines will allow you to "reverse" 

your image and I recommend adding that option into the mix if you are creating multiple figures.

I know there are a lot of paper doll collectors out there who love these vintage images 

just for the sake of looking at them but these are so much fun to create with.

They would make great children's projects of all kinds including:

 Christmas ornaments, package decoration, frig magnets and even wall art. 

I'll be making some jointed with brads to be stage characters for an upcoming 

Toy Theater creation I've got rolling around in my head.

I hope these revised images get a lot of play time and that some of you will be kind 

enough to leave a note on the blog to let me know how you are choosing to craft with them.

I'm really looking forward to that, so please do.

Next time I'll bring you the Scottish Lass and possibly a friend so don't forget 

to check back in as I continue adding Pantins to the growing collection.

Till Next Time...

Mr & Mrs Polichinelle Pantin Paper Dolls

My previous post gave a bit of information about French "Pantin" paper dolls from the 1800's 

and today I'd like to bring you a set that I had a bit of fun playing with digitally.

To assemble these puppets I suggest printing them on a heavy paper and then backing that with a heavy cardstock or light chip board before cutting the parts out.  Small brads are perfect for joining the doll parts; however eyelets would work well too.  You can even create a double sided puppet by printing the sheet in reverse so you see the pretty side no matter which way you flip it.

To make a true "Jumping Jack" doll string is also used to 

connect the pieces so you can make the figure "dance".

In this case you want your brads or eyelets to be loosely fitted to the doll 

so that when you pull the string the limbs will move easily.

An example of a large "Jumping-Jack" with string can be seen  - HERE
See more about Jumping-Jacks HERE and on string assembly HERE
My Pantin paper doll assembly instruction sheet on how to make them dance can be found HERE  

Mr & Mrs Polichinelle based on d'Epinal sheet No. 404

I've "cleaned-up" and slightly altered a vintage set of Pantin paper dolls to give them more appeal and make them a bit more versatile. You will notice that Mr Polichinelle has an extra upper thigh and bell arm so you can change his look slightly; however if you what even more versatility you can print the sheet twice or in reverse to alter your final puppet even more.

Polichinelle - French for the Commedia dell'Arte character Pulcinella aka "Punch"

He is a popular in French theater -  a mocking and comical hunchback; 

 that is easily spotted by his big hooked nose and his protruding belly. 

Mrs. Polichinelle - is Polichinelle's wife and was originally called Joan but later it got changed to Judy so yes, these would be an early version of the beloved French puppets "Punch and Judy"

This is the original image I found on a Netherlands website- HERE

The original set were fairly nice but I thought the faces seemed a bit bland and 

then there were multiple color issues throughout the piece that I wanted to clean-up.

So above you have the original set and below is my adaptation for comparison.

My EKDuncan "refreshed" version based on the original

 The lines and colors are now crisper and cleaner, the faces have a bit more depth to them and Mr. Polichinelle has a few spare parts allow for a few more "posing" options.

Polichinelle is a hunchback in the original theater version of his character, which is why he has that odd hump like item on his back.  I did not want to remove it from the set since that is how he was originally created; however feel free to remove it when cutting and assembling the dolls if you choose.  As you will see below I've removed it in a few of my adaptations of him.

One day I intend to make a series of  Pantins for my Christmas tree but for now 

I've just had a bit of fun creating digital dolls in png format to play with...

And here they are!

This will give you a few ideas on how her figure can be posed.

The middle figure is actually a "reversed" version of her.  

This way even though she is the same character she has a very different look 

just by being "flipped" in the opposite direction.

This first Polichinelle has him with all his original parts.

Mismatch pants, club, bell and his hunched back.

The first Polichinelle is in a "reversed" position and missing his hunchback.

The second figure has him with his with two bells instead of a bell and club.

My final version of him has him with matching pants and two bells.

The original version of this character has one leg that is predominately blue and the other green. 

I did not know if that was correct for him of if it was a colorization error when he was created.  

(It was not uncommon to find colorization errors in vintage paper products such as these dolls).

Either way, I thought he looked better with matching pants and created the second green pantaloon for him. 

I'm also not a big fan of the club he carries.  

Yes, yes - I know Punch carries a stick and likes to use it but I like him better with two bells so my version of the doll set makes it so you don't have to use the "club arm" if you don't like it either.  

Having extra parts or reversing the direction of a character is a great way to get more versatility out of one image; so remember you can print multiple copies and/or a reverse copy of a sheet to get extra parts -  for instance if you want his shoes to point in the same direction you would need two left or two right shoes.  It's fun to mix and match to see what your final character will look like.

I hope you have a bit of fun and create a few puppets of your own.

I'll be back later on with another altered Pantin to add to the collection, 

so please visit again to see what it will be.

Till Next Time...