French Bisque Bebe Jumeau with Deposed Eye Mechanism by Fouquet & Douville

2 Watching

Live Auction

26" (66 cm.) Bisque socket head, blue glass eyes which open and close or turn side-to-side by unique mechanism inside the head which operates from a brass-tipped lever at the back, dark eyeliner, painted curly lashes, brushstroked and multi-feathered brows, accented eye corners, shaded nostrils, open mouth, shaded and outlined lips, row of porcelain teeth, pierced ears, brunette human hair wig over cork pate, French composition and wooden fully-jointed body, nicely costumed. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: Tete Jumeau SGDG 12 (incised, head) Bebe Jumeau (body). Comments: Emile Jumeau, circa 1891, with movable eye system deposed by Fouquet and Douville in that year; the dolls with unique cut-out design at the back of the head were commissioned from the Jumeau firm, although few dolls with the mechanism extant were ever made. Value Points: very rare model, with perfectly functioning rare eye system, beautiful bisque and painting, original body and body finish, wearing original Jumeau chemise. Private Collection of Marisol Valverde.