Amusing and Rare French Twirling Doll

Live Auction

16" (40 cm). A wooden platform with paper-lithographed checkerboard pattern has a protruding wooden rod upon which a porcelain head doll is posed; with painted black hair, shaped torso, wire upper limbs, wooden hands and feet with painted orange shoes, and wearing blue and red silk jester costume with metallic and lace trim, bells in hands. When the string at the side is pulled, the doll twirls about. Condition: generally excellent, split in wood at base. Comments: for the French market, circa 1870. Value Points: an amusing and simple toy is rare, well- preserved.