$5,000
Sold
sold
Click image to enlarge
Description
30"(76 cm.) Each has socket head with highly-characterized sculpting and painting,painted side-
glancing eyes closed mouth,black mohair wigs in stylized arrangements,very elongated torso and
limbs with stitched fingers. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: Sardeau's Dolls,RE. US Patent
Office (tag on his clothing). Comments: depicted are Rudolph Valentino and Lila Lee,silent screen
performers,in costumes from their leading role in Blood and Sand. The Belgian emigres Helene
and Mathilde Sardeau,arrived in New York in 1922 and set up a studio to create dolls of noted
stage or film characters. It is known that Valentino had 160 dolls made as promotional pieces for
theatres when their new films were released. Value Points: rare dolls having maker's
signature,with very expressive features,original costumes.