Very Rare French Carved Wooden Court Dolls in Original Costumes

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11" (28 cm.) Carved wooden gentleman and lady of the 18th century French court, the pair are all-wooden with swivel heads, highly characterized anatomical body features, jointing at shoulders and hips, painted shoes. The lady has carved wooden coiffure with ringlet curls curving from behind each ear and onto her nape, and the man has carved hair with rolled curls above each ear and an extended carved ponytail behind with carved wooden black bow. Each has highly defined individualized carved facial features with outlined painted eyes and each is wearing its original silk and brocade costume with rich detail, the woman with an extraordinary bonnet. Condition: very good, original finish throughout with typical fading. Comments: French, circa 1780, from a remarkable series of dolls created during the mid-late 18th century representing figures of the French court of Louis XVI, and used by members of the aristocracy to story-tell innuendos and social scandals of the day. An exhibition of the dolls entitled "Exposition Costumes Ancien" was held in Paris in 1909 at the Musee de Arts Decoratif in which these dolls were likely featured. Value Points: rare dolls, each of the series is unique, in original condition and having original costumes.