fi****23
Highest Bidder
$40,000
Sold
sold
Click image to enlarge
- Estimate
- $18,000 / $22,000
Description
23" (58 cm.) Very pale bisque socket head with full lower cheeks, large blue glass paperweight inset eyes with rich spiral threading and darker blue iris rims, thick dark eyeliner, painted lashes, mauve blushed eye shadow, delicately feathered brows, accented nostrils, closed mouth with defined space between the softly shaded outlined lips, dimpled philtrtum and chin, separately modeled pierced ears, blonde lambswool wig over cork pate, French composition and wooden eight-loose-ball-jointed body with straight wrists, nicely costumed in coral silk chiffon and lace dress and bonnet, cream kidskin shoes signed E. Jumeau. Condition: generally excellent, original body and body finish. Marks: 4 (head). Comments: Emile Jumeau, earliest period bebe, circa 1877, the model is sometimes referred to as having "wrap-around" eyes. Value Points: extremely rare to find, especially in this size, the rarity is further enhanced by the splendid quality of bisque and artistically painted features as well as splendid eyes. The doll is shown in the book The Rose Unfolds by Rosalie Whyel and Susan Hedrick, pages 110-111, noting that the eyes "are works of art in themselves".
Stuart's Take
This who know me understand that this particular early portrait model by Jumeau is my favorite from his classic line of Bebe. Not just in being so rare to find, but their unique early appearance that would begin to introduce the quintessential Jumeau style.
An interesting market pointer on this doll is that for a long period they easily captured pricing in excess of $40K during the Jumeau Bebe peaks of just a few years ago. Today they present a hidden opportunity during the ebbs and flows of certain models and, if dreaming of one, we are seeing one of the best buying opportunities for this model in decades.