#96

German Bisque Character with Rare Design of Modeled Bonnet, Model 7972, by Gebruder Heubach
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Onsite
$5,250
sold
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Estimate
$3,000 / $4,000
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Description
17" (43 cm.) Pink-tinted bisque socket head, sculpted jade green bonnet in the Dutch cap style with white geometric design border, painted facial features, intaglio blue eyes, white eye dots, black upper eyeliner, accented nostrils, closed mouth with downcast pouting lips, composition and wooden ball-jointed body. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: 6 7972 Heubach (sunburst mark) Germany. Comments: Gebruder Heubach, circa 1910, in the manner of the firm's 8226 model known as Baby Stuart. Value Points: very rare model, previously undocumented, with fascinating detail of bonnet decoration, original body and body finish, antique folklore costume. The doll is featured in the book, The Rose Unfolds, by Rosalie Whyel and Susan Hedrick, page 197.
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Stuart's Take

The rarest variation of my namesake doll. I've never seen one before with this bonnet.

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Florence's Take

Now Stuart, it's not always about you! This model is actually not Baby Stuart. They not only have different bonnets, but also they have different model numbers. Okay, I admit they do look exactly alike except for the bonnet painting, but still...And here's something else that just occurred to me. Why do we use the term Baby Stuart? Is that a Heubach name or a collector term?

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Stuart's Take

Now, see, I always imagined that Baby Stuart was a term originating as a nod to my lack of hair and need of a bonnet, regardless of color or style. But in retrospect I do see that it is a term that has been used for decades, long before me so as to categorize that familiar/similar model. But I looked through a number of books and it appears that the term "Baby Stuart" was never used by Heubach, at least that I can find. As such it appears to be a collector term as is often the case. Which leads me back to the point, maybe it is about me? And why can't this be a very rare variation of the Baby Stuart?