Making porcelain dolls is a lenghty process that demands lots of patience. Each part of the doll is modelled separately, and of each piece a separate plaster mold is made in which then the porcelain is poured. These castings, at that point still very fragile, are then sanded and edited with close precision, after which they are baked at 1230°C.
The face, the eyes and skin are painted in five layers and imprinted at 700°C. As soon as all parts are ready, they are mounted on a (most often) fabric body and ecquipped with clothing of own design.
DOLLS
2000 - 2012
In 2000 Martine started designing artists-dolls in porcelain under the name MJBdolls, with which she acquired big international notoriety.
Many of these dolls are spread over collections worldwide.
A realistic doll with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a blue lace dress, lying on a black surface, with one arm crossed over its head and a butterfly resting on its wrist.
Close-up of a doll with long, light brown hair, blue eyes, and a pink flower hair accessory, wearing a dark outfit with pink accents.
A mannequin dressed as a clown with a white ruffled collar and black pom-poms, wearing black and white clown makeup with teardrop designs under the eyes and a black wig against a dark background.
A realistic-looking doll with long brown hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion, lying on a flat surface with one arm behind her head.
A realistic doll with long brown hair, blue eyes, and light skin reclining on a gray surface, with one arm above her head.
Two doll faces with realistic features, one wearing a red lace dress, and the other in a grey top with a pink textured coat, set against a dark background.
A doll with long, red hair sitting on a white surface against a dark background, wearing a reddish-brown dress with a gray ribbon at the waist.
A young girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes gazes slightly to the right of the camera against a dark background.
A lifelike doll with long red hair, wearing a pink dress and a brown jacket, sitting against a dark background.
A close-up of a doll with long, wavy red hair, pale skin, and gray eyes, wearing a large green fabric bow with fur trim on her head, and a beige off-shoulder top with a colorful pattern.
A porcelain hand mannequin with a bracelet resting on a dark surface, next to a white flower and cream-colored ribbon.
A realistic doll with long red hair, green eyes, dressed in a layered outfit including a green vest, long skirt, and pink shoes, standing against a dark background.
A mannequin dressed as a clown with a white ruffled collar, black pom-poms on the costume, and face makeup with teardrop and eyelash designs. It also wears a black head covering against a dark background.
A realistic doll with long brown hair, blue eyes, and pale skin lying on a light blue surface.
A young girl with long red hair and pale skin is looking down slightly against a dark background.
A doll with realistic features, blue eyes, and light brown hair, wearing a vintage-style cream dress with lace details and a choker around her neck.
A mannequin with red curly hair wearing a brown beret, white blouse, and a brown shoulder strap, posing against a light blue background.
A sleeping baby lying on a white blanket, dressed in a white outfit with a matching hat.
A young girl with long, wavy red hair sits in a kneeling position with her back to the camera, holding a satin ribbon in her hand, against a black gradient background.
Two children with their faces covered by blue fabric, sitting on the floor against a textured blue background.
A baby with a fair complexion and dark hair lying on a blue surface, wearing vintage-style clothing and a bonnet.
A young girl with long, wavy red hair, blue eyes, and freckles, wearing a beige dress with a sheer white top, against a dark background.
Close-up portrait of a young girl with long, wavy brown hair and light skin, wearing a white sleeveless dress with a large white flower in her hair, against a dark background.
A doll with long, curly red hair, light skin, and blue eyes, wearing an off-shoulder red and brown dress with a dark choker.
A person is practicing permanent makeup by tattooing eyebrows on a mannequin head, with makeup brushes and a glass container nearby.
Disassembled human doll parts including a head, torso, arms, legs, hands, and feet laid out on a flat surface.
Diagram showing the process of making a porcelain doll, including steps: 1. sculpting clay and mold pieces, 2. molding and assembling parts, 3. casting with ceramic material, 4. sanding and cleaning, 5. firing at 1200°F, 6. painting in 4 to 6 layers at 700°F, and 7. assembling doll parts. Each doll has painted eyes, human hair, and original clothing.