#196

Rare French Bisque Double-Faced Bebe by Emile Jumeau
8 Watching
Live Auction

fi****23
$9,250
sold
Hero Image
thumbnail for item
Click image to enlarge
Estimate
$14,000 / $17,000
Description
20" (51 cm.) Bisque head with flanged neck having a different face on two sides of the head, the faces can be alternately revealed or covered with wig simply by rotating the head. One face reveals a happily smiling child with narrow brown glass eyes, closed mouth with smiling lips, painted lashes and brows, deeply modeled laughter crinkles, rosy complexion; the other face depicts an angry crying child with brown glass eyes, painted lashes and brows, crooked "O" shaped closed mouth, scowling lines, and reddened angry complexion; blonde mohair wig, French composition and wooden fully-jointed body, antique costume. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: French, attributed to Jumeau from their 200 art character series, the head was likely originally created for use with automaton, circa 1890. Value Points: rare doll with wonderfully modeled character expressions, very fine quality of bisque and painting. The doll is shown in the book The Rose Unfolds by Rosalie Whyel and Susan Hedrick, page 234.