French Bisque Bebe Jumeau, Incised Depose Marks, Size 20, Signed Jumeau Shoes
Lot #45
42" (107 cm.) Bisque socket head, deep blue glass paperweight inset eyes, thick dark eyeliner, lushly-painted lashes, brushstroked and feathered brows, accented eye corners, blushed eyeshadow, shaded nostrils, closed mouth with shaded lips, separately-modelled pierced ears, brunette human hair over cork pate, French composition and wooden fully-jointed body with plump limbs, beautiful antique costume, undergarments, bonnet, parasol, and Jumeau leather shoes. Condition: generally excellent, retouch on body finish. Marks: Depose Jumeau 20 (incised marking on head, and artist checkmarks) Bebe Jumeau Diplome d'Honneur (body). Comments: Emile Jumeau, circa 1884, the largest size created of his bebe, this with rare markings, being the first time his name appeared on the bebe head. It is probable that the doll was created as an exhibition model, appearing either at the Antwerp Exposition of 1885 where Jumeau competed fiercely against German competitors who were copying his dolls, or in the 1884 salon of the French Union des Fabricants de Jouets, of which Jumeau was a charter member and which provided a Paris showroom for French dolls and toys. Value Points: exceptional rarity of the size 20 bebe, no other example with the incised "Depose" marking is known to exist, and with gorgeous bisque and painting, and with original signed Jumeau shoes, marked size 20, with gilt letter markings.
