Christa A Hancock-Naef

Emily

Christa's inspiration to make dolls came from Sasha Morgenthaler in Zurich, Switzerland where she lived in the 1970s.

On taking early retirement in 1991, she started sculpting full time. Christa designs, sews and knits all outfits for her dolls. Living in a 500-year-old medieval town house - in itself a dolls' house - with her two cats Anthony & Cleopatra, she creates her "Cottage Children" and also welcomes commissions. Her latest project is a new range, reflecting her new home - the "Children of Charlieu".

All her dolls are one-offs. They have individually sculpted heads, lower arms and lower legs and come with wired or unwired soft bodies. the head and limbs are made of air-drying stone clay or polymer clays. Some have painted, others glass eyes. Christa makes the human hair wigs as well as the leather shoes to measure. Her dolls are mostly 25cm (10in) to 53cm (21in) tall, signed and numbered and come with a 'birth certificate'.

Prices from £155.

Hernando

Henriette

Hoi-Sum

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