24" (61 cm.) Thick paste porcelain head with flat-cut neck socket that is 360 degrees swivel- attached to matching porcelain shoulder plate, portraying a young girl with rounded face, brown painted hair combed away from face, behind the modeled ears, into a short pageboy fashion and banded by a white hair ribbon with gilt edging; large painted blue eyes, red and black upper eyeliner, black brows, accented eye corners and nostrils, closed mouth with pert smile, muslin stitch-jointed body, wearing hand- woven gown of rare fabric with appliqued criss- cross decorations of narrow red velvet, undergarments, red leather slippers. Condition: generally excellent, very faint 1/2Ó firing line at front neck edge of shoulder plate. Comments: Germany, circa 1865, the doll was purchased in the early 1950's from the estate auction of the private collection of 19th century French doll historian Henri Rene d'Allemagne (see Encyclopedia of French Dolls, page 18-19). Value Points: extremely rare early porcelain doll with unique neck attachment, beautiful shading of hair color, original costume, and provenance.