French Bisque Portrait Doll,Possibly Representing British Actress Dorothy Ward

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22"(56 cm.) Bisque shoulder head in modest forward-tilted pose,heart-shaped face and slightly-elongated throat,painted brown downcast eyes in deeply-set eye sockets with thick black upper eyeliner,ochre painted eye shadow,painted lashes,feathered brows,accented nostrils and eye corners,closed mouth with very full accented lips,brunette human hair,muslin stitch-jointed body,bisque lower arms,wearing lovely antique crepe de chine flower-print dress of the Edwardian era,with undergarments,stockings,shoes,and fancy bonnet. Marks: (wing symbol). Comments: Louis Aime Lejeune of Saint Maur-des-Fosses,who registered the wing symbol trademark in 1915 describing himself as a designer of dolls,especially of heads. Lejeune (1884-1869) was a noted French sculptor in bronze and terra cotta,and this bisque model appears to be his only endeavor in the doll genre. The doll was created during the era of the Renaissance of the French doll,in the company of other noted French artists who were attempting to resurrect the supremacy of the French doll market. According to research by Billie Nelson Tyrrell,the doll is a model of Dorothy Ward,the British stage actress of the early 20th century. Value Points: an exceptionally beautiful and rare doll,designed by noted sculptor,Louis Aime Lejeune,with exquisite bisque and portraiture; no other example is known at this time.