The lovely Xi Shi is a 1/3 size girl from Angell Studio. My new girl is cast in solid pink resin with the company’s taller BJD body, making her 62cm from head to toe. She was ordered with an optional special face-up. Due to the extra time needed to create the face-up, the company told me that the time between order and shipping would be longer, but Xi Shi arrived in only two months time.
Like other dolls I own by Angell Studio, Xi Shi came packed in a custom size pouch. Beyond the face-up, no extras were ordered.
The face-up’s decorative embellishments are made up of wisps of forest green and white with sparkly crystals.
Xi Shi is long and lean. Her resin is dense and smooth but not shiny. All seams have been sanded and no sanding marks are noticeable.
I installed some green eyes to match the face-up and tried on a few wigs. Xi Shi would look lovely in almost anything, but with her current face-up, wigs with hair around the forehead and cheeks cover up a lot of the painted details.
The body design is carefully thought out. Xi Shi is a doll that is designed to hold poses well. There are kip discs in the shoulder joint, and her knees and elbows are double jointed. The waist has a shelf at both the back and front of the lower part that allows the body to lead forward and back far more than many dolls can achieve. The side movement isn’t as defined, but the upper torso swivels easily.
The knees and hip joint have rests built in as well. The upper thigh joint in particular is pretty sophisticated, with rests for the lower thigh at various angles.
Despite their elaborate design, the doll can still pose gracefully with the joints looking fairly unobtrusive. Once fully decked out in a costume that befits her youthful charm, she will look perfect.
