Onsite
Highest Bidder
$7,000
Sold
sold
Click image to enlarge
- Estimate
- $8,000 / $11,000
Description
20" (51 cm.) Each has poured wax shoulderhead, blue glass enamel inset eyes, tinted facial features, firmly-shaped cloth body, poured wax lower limbs, he with bald forehead crown and then delicately inserted hair at top crown and sides of head, and has finely-groomed moustache and beard; and she with delicately inserted brunette hair. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: England, circa 1900, attributed to the firm of Pierotti, the dolls portray King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra at the time of his 1902 coronation as King of England. Few other examples are known to exist, one at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and another at the City Museum of London, although it is not certain that those examples include the Queen. Value Points: the outstanding dolls are wonderfully preserved, each wearing most elaborate coronation costumes including jewelry and accessories as well as fur-trimmed robes and coronation crowns.
Stuart's Take
At some point, especially in the U.S., there needs to be more recognition and appreciation for the wax portrait dolls created by Pierotti. When looking at the earlier presented Queen Victoria in mourning, and these two examples of King Edward and Queen Alexandre, we can see first-hand how each were designed with utmost detail and care to exact their bodies, faces, and dress. These are not "dolls" in the classic sense. They are art portraits, even more striking than a painting in allowing for such a three dimensional look at important historical figures.