Kewpie Doll

Did you every own a kewpie doll? Sometimes they are also called cupie dolls, because they originally were modeled after figures of the baby god of the Romans, Cupid. They are adorable baby like figures, with darling smiles, that trace their own creation to a magazine cartoon figure. These cartoons were by Rose O’Neill, in Ladies Home Journal.

The first dolls were made in Germany, in a small town called Ohrdruf, known for toy manufacturing. Originally the Kewpie dolls were made out of bisque, starting in 1909. Later there were celluloid Kewpie dolls. In 1949 toy manufacturer Effanbee developed a hard plastic version of the Kewpie. Kewpies also appear on dishes, in coloring books and other merchandise.

It might be said that the Kewpie doll was the first toy spin-off from a cartoon. After appearing as good luck and good deed little people in women’s magazines, and on their own, the first Kewpie doll was made in 1913. I do not think we have seen the last of Kewpie dolls, though. Charisma is the name of a company that continues to release new Kewpies. They are heartwarming little dolls with special costumes and names of their own.

This loveable doll is also featured on a mayonnaise product in Japan called q.p. It is hard to keep from smiling when you see this doll smiling back at you. I remember Kewpies as carnival prizes at the fair. I remember my mom trying to comb the hair of my baby brother, and then later my baby sister in a “Cupie Curl”. Kewpies are a popular collectible item.