$16,000
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Description
14" (36 cm.) Each has bisque socket head with distinctively shaped face, brown glass inset eyes in deeply set eye sockets with heavy eyelids, tinted brows and ombre eyeshadow, tiny pointed nose, closed mouth with wide center line, blushed cheeks, red mohair wig, five-piece French paper mache body with side-hip jointing. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: SFBJ 239 Paris (incised) Poulbot (incised signature). Comments: designed by the French illustrator Poulbot, whose illustration posters featured young urchins of the Montmartre district of Paris orphaned by WWI; the posters were important aspects of charity drives to feed and clothe these children; the dolls, designed by Poulbot and produced by SFBJ, circa 1916, are superb sculptural representations of the poster children. Value Points: very rare dolls, made for one or two years only, with superb modeling, bisque and painting, original bodies and wigs, each wearing its factory-original costume. Included is a book Encore des Gosses, self-published by Poulbot, circa 1917 in 100 copies, which is filled with heart-wrenching drawings by Poulbot of these classic urchins. Ex-Odin Collection, Musee de la Poupee, Paris.