Extremely Rare French Bisque Wooden-Bodied "Bebe Musique" by Leon Casimir Bru

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17" (43 cm.) Pressed bisque socket head with very full cheeks,brown glass paperweight inset eyes,dark eyeliner,painted lashes,mauve-blushed eyeshadow,brush-stroked brows,accented eye corners,shaded nostrils,closed mouth with defined painted teeth between the outlined and shaded lips,pierced ears,blonde mohair wig with ringlet curls over cork pate,French all-wooden bebe body with pin and dowel jointing at shoulders,elbows,wrists,hips,knees and ankles,well-defined fingers and toes,and having a Swiss two-tune musical box hidden inside her torso which operates from keywind at the back torso. Condition: generally excellent,rubbed original wooden finish on structurally-excellent body,music functions well. Marks: Bte SGDG (forehead) (circle/dot symbol back of head and "5"). 102 (?,impressed at back torso). Comments: Leon Casimir Bru,circa 1882,the extremely rare model was advertised by Bru for only two years,1882/1883,and was considered the apogee of luxury doll making by that firm. So rare is the model that The Bru Book by Theimer devotes half a page to discussing the doll,but had no photograph of an existing sample. Value Points: among the rarest of the 19th century luxury bebes,with beautiful presence,the rare Bebe Modele wooden body with pleasing patina of age,the face with superb sculpting including the rare painted teeth,and the music box with a wonderful quality sound.