$5,500
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sold
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Description
18" (46 cm.) Bisque shoulderhead with hand-pressed details of the pale textured complexion, well-defined sockets with upper-glancing brown eyes heightened with decorative glaze, red and black upper eyeliner with very tiny fringed lashes, grey eyeshadow, feathered brows, accented nostrils, closed mouth modeled as though open with two rows of tiny sculpted bead teeth, well-sculpted ears, kid-over-wooden poupee torso and legs, kid arms, antique black silk gown and bonnet. Condition: generally excellent, body likely not original albeit French. Comments: French, mid-1855, both the model and the textured bisque of the doll are a mystery; the highly-characterized upper-glancing expression is reminiscent of certain Neopolitan dolls. The stylized teeth and the facial model suggest Georges Most (see The Encyclopedia of French Dolls by Theimer, page 419) although this doll has painted eyes. Value Points: intriguing mystery doll with most expressive features. Ex-Collection Mary Merritt Museum.