Zurcher Spielzeugmuseum – The Real Sasha Shangri-La

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At the end of the holiday in Italy last year, Tricia and I were able to go to Switzerland and have a wonderful visit with Brigitte.   Brigitte was a kind and generous hostess and on our last day we traveled to Zürich.  After stashing our luggage in lockers at the station, Brigitte led us to the wonderful museum featuring Sasha Morgenthaler creations. (Link below)

We had another very interesting visit in Zurich, after the museum, but that will be shared in a separate post since this museum post is very lengthy. I hope you will prepare a cup of tea and enjoy these photos.  If you have seen them before, perhaps these images will revive your interest, show you a different angle or a different lighting, and provide you additional and renewed insights to the delightful talents of Sasha Morgenthaler.

http://www.zuercher-spielzeugmuseum.ch/index_en.html

The fantastic displays in the museum are encased in glass and so there will be reflections plus you will see the back of some dolls that are facing outwards on the opposite side. These photos are not in a logical order and you might see a head shot later in the photo lineup from the full length photos. Also, please be tolerant of the photos that are a product of my camera phone and my very shaky hands in nervous excitement of actually being there in Zurich, in person, and with so many studio dolls!   I hope you will be able to enjoy your visit as you see the inspirational Sasha studio dolls in abundance and Serie dolls as well. The real Sasha Shangri-La.

The Prince.

A four legged beauty.

Boys galore and don’t you love seeing them all together?  Each one is very unique and so charming.  One thoughtful girl in bright pink towers in the background and a friendly zebra nudges the barefoot boy.

A poorly captured Pierrot to the right of the photo and a divine bebe propped up on an upper pedestal.

A beautiful bebe.

The fabulous existentialist girl and boy.

An oh so sweet child in dungarees and striped shirt.

A remarkable blonde boy and girl. Her coat is a work of art by itself.

A closer photo of the girl in bright pink. I can’t help but notice the lovely waist tie of the blonde girl from the back.

Tools of Sasha’s trade.

A most handsome boy in brown corduroy trousers and black jacket. Even the small Steiff bear with his mouth open looks to be amazed to see such a fine boy.

I love this beautiful blonde girl with her plaits and holding on to bebe dear. So very touching.

A beautiful head painted by Sasha and would be an A-I studio doll if joined to the proper body.  Such beautiful painting on this tricot covered mold and lovely red hemp wig.

A photo of a working table which I think would’ve been in Sasha’s studio.

A head mold.

Another photo of this precious pair or should I say trio?

An amazing Japanese girl dated 1952.  A most beautiful child looking so serene.

The existentalist pair in these two photos. I struggled with the glare and I hope you can especially see the wonderful boy and his purple corduroy slacks, purple and white striped top with scarf, plus a smart shiny black jacket with matching hat.  The girl is equally beautifully dressed with her fur coat, colorful scarf, slim white slacks and sleek black boots.

Close up of the handsome boy wearing the brown corduroy trousers.

A sweet girl in her apron and sandals. You can see the rick rack trim on her undergarment that is typically seen on Sasha’s undergarments.

Yes, another angle of this happy girl and bebe.

A card game created by Sasha Morgenthaler.

An unexpected Kathe Kruse wide hipped girl stands behind a delightful doll house and to our left of these two lovely studio dolls.  The girl with the plaits is a favorite of mine.

I could have spent hours absorbing this display alone.  As you can see, all children love a doll house.

I was delighted to see these two lovely Munich Art dolls.  I think this was my first time to see a Munich Art Doll in person though I have seen them in books and in several Theriault’s auction catalogs.

How lovely to see these girls shopping and looking so beautiful in their corduroy dresses.

Amazing displays.

This pretty girl, in her checked gingham dress, looks at home with other dollies of days gone by.

A tilt of her head and her high arched brow both speak to me as to say that she is inquisitive and observant.

A little angel all in white is tucked sweetly into this corner.

A biography and timeline for Sasha Morgenthaler.

An existentialist look to this pale girl in black sweater and slacks with a discreet scarf wound at the neckline.

A most beautiful girl wearing a remarkable dress with the fabric flowing on a diagonal in the center while the white lines of the fabric draw our attention to her neckline, cuffs and hemline. A most wonderful creation!

A pale girl wearing a fabulous creation of a maxi coat in leather with matching slacks, belt and boots and a white knitted top. She has a wistful and far away expression.

A sweet child in white with a remarkable hat.

A very pale and serious girl wearing a stunning white dress.

Photographs of Sasha and her family and at work.

A print of a painting by Ernst Morgenthaler illustrating his wife, Sasha, her sons, and the housekeeper in the background.

A perfectly pouty brunette in a pale pink dress that reminds me of the Serie brunette girl’s dress called “Party Pink”.

A serious and thoughtful child.  Several more close up photos.

A lovely display of Sasha vinyl dolls.  The round platforms rotate in circles to help you see all the dolls.

A gorgeous girl.

I am showing this most beautiful Sasha Studio girl with her very full plaits once again.  Her green eyes are perfect with her green printed dress. I love her ribbons too.  I love everything about her.

A handsome red headed boy.

Her lovely white dress with lace trimming on the bodice, cuffs, and hemline accentuates the diagonal patterned fabric. Her brown hair, eyes, necklace, sash, and shoes all make for a perfect picture of this beautiful girl.

Two beautiful girls in lovely white gowns.

A dreamy expression with this beautiful girl and she has a wax-like appearance to her face.

Additional photos of the vinyl dolls and outfits.

There were many fantastic antique dolls on display.

A lovely Sasha Doll tucked beside a most interesting train display.

Look here! A Gregor waving to get our attention.

Additional lovely Kathe Kruse dolls.

Baby Sasha waiting for his stroll.

As you can see it is an extraordinary museum and I would love to spend much more time there to really see and think about the amazing displays of dolls and toys.

A couple of Lenci dolls among doll friends.

A towering and full doll house is a wonderful backdrop for our beloved Sasha dolls.

I took a few photos of Zürich from the museum window.

Upstairs the displays continue of space toys and familiar toys to include Star Wars.

A wonderful poster on display.

A happy surprise to see these two Sasha babies sitting in a cradle tucked away on a side shelf.

I hope you have enjoyed this post of remarkable Sasha dolls along with the other lovely dolls and toys found in our human history.  I am so grateful to Brigitte for her warm hospitality extended to Tricia and me during our stay and for bringing us to the toy museum in Zurich.  This visit will forever stay with me in my heart.

A Happy Gotz Sasha Ponytail Girl Gathering

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It is a great day for Gotz dolls.  It is a great day for Gotz Sasha dolls.  It is a great day for Gotz Sasha ponytail dolls.  The Gotz Sasha ponytail girls living at Sasha Shangri-La are here today to say hello to you! 😊

First up is Mimi wearing a fantastic Ra-ra outfit made by the talented Sharon Humphreys.  Her Mary Jane shoes were made by Ruthsdolls. 😊

Mimi looks a little sad today…perhaps lonely but not for long!

Who do you see sweet Mimi?

Oh, it is Berry!  Berry it is so nice to see you! Berry’s adorable top was made by Sharon Humphreys, her cute skirt was made by Chris Meatyard, and her blue leather sandals were made by Jean Jensen. 😊

Berry is so happy to be outdoors. I think she sees a friendly face in the distance…

Who is it Berry?

Oh my, it is Lee!  How nice to see you Lee.  Lee’s darling outfit is unmarked and her pink leather shoes were made by Jean Jensen.

Lee is a sensitive and caring girl. 😊

A little windy so please excuse the stray hairs in the photos.

Lee, who do you see that is coming to join the ponytail gathering?

Oh look, it is Morgen!  Morgen is our newest member of the ponytail family living here on Cow Creek. Mooooooo!  🐄🐄🐄

Though Morgen is a Gotz ponytail girl, her eyes were painted by Sasha Morgenthaler herself.  We are thrilled to have Morgen join our Sasha family. ❤

Morgen up close. ❤

Morgen is wearing a fantastic Ra-ra outfit made by Sharon Humphreys.  Her shoes are by Ruthsdolls.

I love this outfit…thank you Sharon! ❤ xxx

Morgen up close again. I hope you do not mind viewing extra photos of Morgen. ❤

Pretty Ponytail girls all together…….

Enjoying their time together…..

Just happy to share the day…

 

So nice to see you girls all together. Let’s look at a few more close up photos of each of you.

Mimi

Berry. (I took Barry’s photo indoors because her photo taken outdoors did not turn out)

Lee

Morgen

The ponytail girls and I thank you for visiting with us today. We hope you enjoyed this post.  We are sending you happy wishes for the weekend and week to come. 😊 xxx

 

Lastly, waterlogue images to enjoy. 🌹🌹🌹🌹

 

A New Girl Arrives at Sasha Shangri-La ❤

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Some of you may have seen this rare girl on Shelly’s site and you may have wondered where she went after leaving Sasha Doll UK.  She is a Gotz girl but with her eye painting by Sasha Morgenthaler herself.  I immediately fell in love with her. ❤

 

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The first three photos of this post were taken by Shelly. 😊

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I love Sasha’s studio doll paintings and this girl was no exception.  She is a very special, miniature studio-like doll. ❤

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After she arrived, I immediately took photos of her on this coral colored blanket. ❤

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My hands were shaking while taking the first photos. Such anticipation! 😊

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I think I was in shock with excitement for quite a while after she arrived. Thank goodness that I did hear her whisper that her name is Morgen. ❤

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Next I took a few photos of Morgen in her original brown cord dress with brown leather shoes. ❤

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❤ Hello Morgen ❤

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Welcome to Sasha Shangri-La dear one. ❤

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❤ Morgen ❤

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Next, I gave her back her ponytail to see how it would look.  Morgen loved playing in the doll room. 😊

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She has the little curl at the base of her neck. Plus the nice side wings.

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I really like her ponytail. 😊

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Then, I dressed Morgen in a studio style dress by Dolliepatch.  I think she looks very pretty in this outfit.

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I hope you enjoyed meeting Morgen today.  Thank you for visiting with us. ❤

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I styled Morgen’s hair back into her ponytail and then she joined her sisters Gracie, Joanie, and Gwennie.  They love to share stories of when they came alive as they were painted by Sasha Morgenthaler in Switzerland long ago.  Wouldn’t it have been wonderful to have been there to see the dolls come to life in her extraordinarily, talented hands? ❤

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A waterlogue image to enjoy.  Morgen and I wish you a very happy and healthy week to come. 😊 xxx

Male and Marvelous ….. Markus

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imageThere have been a few new additions to the Sasha Shangri-La family that have not been shown on the blog.

Today, I am very happy to introduce to you a new boy.  Please meet Markus, a CIII Sasha Studio boy, hand painted by Sasha Morgenthaler, made of gypsum and adopted from a lovely person living in Switzerland that showed his photo on Facebook in order to find him a new home. ❤

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Markus is a scout boy and wears his original outfit and flag. 🙂

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I have taken photos of Markus with and without his hat and I absolutely love his wig which is thick and wavy and has a bit of curl too. ❤️

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I checked Markus’s feet and sadly, there are no remaining marks that Sasha would have penciled on the bottom of his feet.  I think he is possibly a 1950’s boy.  He has been loved and he is not a “minty” boy which is perfect for me since I can enjoy redressing him and I will have no worries about causing his first “ding”. 🙂

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The soulful expression of Markus. ❤

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A side profile with curls. ❤

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Beautiful hair. 🙂

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Markus and I think you for visiting with us today.  We hope you have enjoyed this post and we hope you have a wonderful day and a wonderful week to come. 🙂 xxx

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A final waterlogue image of Markus. ❤

Dane an Inspired Harlequin

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I am happy to introduce Dane a wonderful Harlequin studio doll rendition lovingly made by Janet Myhill-Dabbs.  Years ago I was fortunate to see an original Harlequin studio doll made by Sasha Morgenthaler on an ebay auction and he was the inspiration for Dane. 🙂

More recently, Janet located a full size mask, prepared it for her amazing handpainting, made his lovely, long lanky body, found the perfect wig, and designed his harlequin outfit using Laura Ashley fabric.  She also crafted his black leather shoes.  The first two photos of this post were taken by Janet. ❤

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Dane outdoors at Janet’s house. 🙂

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So Dane arrives at Sasha Shangri-La!  I posed him in a chair and gave him as a pet a resident pig that lives here on the farm. 😉

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Dane looks right at home next to Brigitte and his new Sasha family. ❤

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A close up view of the very handsome and mesmerizing Dane. ❤

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A close view of Dane’s wonderful eyes.  I love him! ❤

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Dane is a wonderful new addition to the Sasha family. He brings a very unique and wonderful expression of doll art and I am fortunate to have a Sasha inspired Harlequin by Janet.<3

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Another very close view of Dane’s face. Wonderful boy. 🙂

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A last photo of Dane along with some of his Sasha family. Doesn’t he look right at home?

Dane and I thank you for visiting with us today. We are sending you hugs and happy wishes for a wonderful weekend and week to come. 🙂 xxx

A view waterlogue images for you to enjoy. 🙂

Painted in Waterlogue

Painted in Waterlogue

Painted in Waterlogue