$28,000
Sold
sold
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Description
15" (38 cm.) Bisque socket head, painted/fired on black masquerade mask on the upper half of face with a painted lace edging, blue glass paperweight inset eyes, closed mouth, shaded lips, pierced ears, brunette human hair over cork pate, French composition and wooden fully-jointed body. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: E 7 D Depose. Comments: Etienne Denamur, circa 1888. Value Points: extremely rare and original facial painting, inspired by the popular Parisian "bal masques " (masked evening balls) of the late 1800s; the doll has original velvet and silk costume, bicorn velvet party hat and carries silver dance card with original attached pencil. No other examples of the rare mask-face bebe are known to exist.