DAFFADOWNDILLY, THE PAUL JOHNSON COLLECTION AND THE LUMIA COLLECTION: PART TWO

Saturday, March 16, 2019Lots 1-371

March 16, 2019 in Naples, Florida


The auction features several prominent collections including that of the late Paul Johnson of Kansas, Part II of the Landmark collection of Margaret Lumia, and others. Softbound. 8.5" x 11". 164 pages.

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Extremely Rare French Bisque Bebe Gourmand by Leon Casimir Bru with Original "Trap-Door" Shoes

Extremely Rare French Bisque Bebe Gourmand by Leon Casimir Bru with Original "Trap-Door" Shoes

Lot #78

18" (46 cm.) Pressed bisque swivel head with very full cheeks and strong throat on kid-edged bisque shoulderplate with modeled bosom and shoulder-blades, amber brown glass enamel inset eyes with spiral threading, thick dark eye-liner encircles the eye sockets, painted lashes, rose blushed eyeshadow, delicately feathered brows, accented eye corners and nostrils, open mouth with shaded and accented lips, porcelain tongue inside the head set in framework allowing the long tongue to be "stuck out" to receive biscuit and then tip backward as though swallowing, firmly stuffed bebe torso and upper legs, kid upper arms, bisque forearms with exquisitely sculpted hands, bisque lower legs from above the knee, bisque feet with open soles. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: (circle/dot symbol on head) Bte SGDG (forehead) 1 T (right shoulder) (original paper label on torso). Comments: Leon Casimir Bru, his Bebe Gourmand was first advertised by Bru in 1882 as "delicieux bebe a surprise". Although he described the bebe as a registered model no record of its depose has been found. The bebe has two hollow tubes hidden inside the torso, designed that when a tiny biscuit was placed on the tongue, it would fall backward as though being swallowed, tumble through one of the tubes, and come out through one of the open foot soles. Value Points: exceptionally rare, few models are known to exist, this being an early 1882 model and in superb original condition, with outstanding quality of bisque and sculpting especially notable in bisque hands and muscular bisque legs, The bebe has its original blue silk dress, blue stockings and original unique signed Bru shoes with "trap-door" opening in the soles to re-capture the "digested" biscuit.