Welcome back to Acacia Lane Dolls! Today, I’m thrilled to share a very special project that recently spent some time on my worktable: restoring Singing Dove, a striking doll from the Götz Starshine line.
📜 A Quick History Lesson: The Starshine Doll Line
Before diving into the restoration details, her back story deserves a spotlight—because the Starshine line has a unique place in doll history.
In 1989, doll artisan Robin Holland set out to create a line of dolls that authentically honored Native American heritage, offering a high-quality alternative to inexpensive souvenir dolls. To bring her vision to life, she secured a unique arrangement with the renowned German doll manufacturer Götz.
- The Partnership: Götz supplied high-quality vinyl doll heads and body parts. Robin then hand-finished the dolls—adding custom wigs, face painting, and intricate tribal-specific outfits and beadwork.
- Tribal Representation: Every doll in the line was crafted to reflect a specific tribe or nation.
- Singing Dove: Representing the Cheyenne Tribe, Singing Dove features dark eyes, a modacrylic wig, and traditional attire designed to honor Cheyenne culture.
Because they were produced in limited quantities and required extensive handcrafting, Starshine dolls remain cherished hidden gems among Götz and vinyl doll collectors.
🪮 The Restoration Journey
When Singing Dove arrived, she was showing a bit of age, but her bones—and that lovely Götz vinyl—were in wonderful shape. Here is a look at what went into her revival:
- Vinyl Deep Clean: Her vinyl limbs and face were gently wiped down with a soft microfiber cloth and mild soap to lift any surface dirt or dust while carefully preserving her original facial paint.
- Eye Repainting: Her original black eyes were silvered (as a great deal of them do over time!), and so they were carefully removed and repainted. These dolls either had black or dark brown eyes. Singing Dove had rich black eyes. Once completed, they were carefully reinserted in her head.
- Outfit Care: Over time, her traditional outfit had flaked onto her vinyl. The outfit and beadwork is so delicate and made of suede and so great care must be taken to care for the fabric over time.
- Joints & Posing: Checked her stringing and joints to ensure she can pose nicely for future photos!
✨ The Reveal
Restoring Singing Dove was such a rewarding project. Seeing her dark eyes shine and her traditional Cheyenne attire restored to its original beauty makes all the meticulous work completely worth it. She is a gorgeous piece of doll artistry, and I’m so happy to have her glowing again and on to her new home!
From Gotz Fandom website
