Promises of Paris
Paris has always held promise for those who yearned for its special quality. Strolling the boulevards, sidewalk cafes, the arts, the lights, the good red wine. If "making it" in New York meant success anywhere, the promise of Paris was simply living well. Those who visited did not come home empty handed. The glorious dolls from the golden age were largely made for the enthusiastic American traveler who bought armloads of treasures, including fine French bisque dolls, home. American composition dolls are also featured here. 8.5" x 8.5". Softbound. 108 full-color pages.
$37.00
Catalog Lot List details
each 4" (10 cm). Each has bisque swivel head on
bisque torso, brown glass inset eyes, painted
lashes, single stroke brows, closed mouth, blonde
mohair wig, peg-jointed limbs, painted shoes and
socks. CONDITION: Generally excellent. COMMENTS:
Germany, circa 1900. VALUE POINTS: The boy and
girl wear original factory costumes, and are
posed alongside an all-bisque white puppy.
Presale Estimate:
500/600
Realized Price:
$500
6" (15 cm). Bisque swivel head on kid-edged
bisque torso, brown glass inset eyes, painted
lashes, feathered brows, accented nostrils and
eye corners, closed mouth with accent line
between the lips, blonde mohair wig over plaster
pate, peg-jointed bisque arms and legs, painted
white socks with magenta rims, black four lace
heeled shoes, original woolen costume. CONDITION:
Generally excellent. MARKS: 0. COMMENTS: Kestner,
circa 1885. VALUE POINTS: Swivel neck, closed
mouth, fancy boots, superb original braided wig
extending to hips.
Presale Estimate:
500/700
Realized Price:
$1,050
Brown bisque socket head, brown glass sleep eyes,
painted black curly lashes, modelled black brush-
stroked brows with feathered highlights, mohair
lashes, open mouth, outlined lips, four porcelain
teeth, pierced ears, black mohair wig, brown-
complexioned composition and wooden ball-jointed
body, antique costume. CONDITION: Generally
excellent. MARKS: Germany Heinrich Handwerck
Simon & Halbig 2 1/2. COMMENTS: Handwerck, circa
1900. VALUE POINTS: Beautiful complexion color
enhanced by rich decoration of features, original
body and body finish.
Presale Estimate:
900/1200
Realized Price:
$850
22". The bisque socket head doll, portraying a
wistful-faced older child, is composed from
unique four-part mol that allows exceptional
sculptural definition of facial planes and shape,
with elongated throat, full cheeks and clearly
defined temples and chin. Teh doll has blue glass
eyes, painted curly lashes with darker lashes at
bottom yer rim, feathered eyebrows, accented eye-
corners, high forehead, characteristic artist's
incision on crown rim, distinctively-shaped ears,
pierced ear holes, original white mohair wig and
pate, uniquely designed composition body,
elongated sculpted fingers, wide upper tights,
elongated lower legs with shapely calves, slender
ankles, elongated feet. The doll wears antique
dress with many be original. Undergarments bears
the cloth label of "Margaine-Lacroix" boutique.
CONDITION: generally excellent. MARKS: A Marque
(incised signature, on head), 50 (red ink
lettered, on hair), Margaine-Lacroix, 19
Boulveard Haussman, Paris.COMMENTS: French, circa
1916.
Presale Estimate:
110000/150000
Realized Price:
$145,000
20" (51 cm). Brown mohair teddy has swivel head,
shoe-button eyes, black embroidered nose,
stitched-rounded ears, elongated articulated arms
with felt paw-pads, hip-jointed legs with large
feet and felt paw-pads, excelsior stuffing, hump-
back. The bear has his original blank metal
button in left ear. Excellent condition, nose may
be re-embroidered. Steiff, circa 1915.
Presale Estimate:
2000/2500
Realized Price:
$1,600
27" (68 cm). Bisque socket head with chubby
facial modelling, large blue glass sleep eyes,
painted curly lashes, feathered brows, accented
nostrils, open mouth, shaded and outlined lips,
two porcelain upper teeth, tongue, dimpled chin,
brunette human hair, composition and wooden ball-
jointed toddler body with side-hip jointing,
antique costume. CONDITION: Generally excellent.
MARKS: K*R 22 Germany 62. COMMENTS: Kammer and
Reinhardt, circa 1925. VALUE POINTS: Excellent
quality of sculpting and bisque, rarer toddler
body with original finish.
Presale Estimate:
700/900
Realized Price:
$1,550
34" (86 cm). Bisque socket head, large blue glass
sleep eyes, mohair lashes, dark painted curly
lashes, incised eyeliner, brushstroked and multi-
feathered brows, accented nostrils, open mouth,
shaded and outlined lips, row of porcelain teeth,
pierced ears, brunette mohair bobbed wig,
composition and wooden ball-jointed body, antique
maroon woolen suit with leggings, leather shoes,
silk shirt, straw hat. CONDITION: Generally
excellent. MARKS: Made in Germany JDK 260 (head)
Made in Germany 87 (torso). COMMENTS: Kestner,
circa 1915. VALUE POINTS: Very choice quality of
sculpting with highly defined dimples, double
chin, laughter lines, finest quality of bisque,
original signed body.
Presale Estimate:
1100/1400
Realized Price:
$1,500
each 2 1/2" (6 cm). Each of five dolls has bisque
loop-jointed bisque socket head with solid dome,
painted facial features, peg-jointed bisque arms
and legs with painted blue boots, and wears
original folklore style costume of various
provinces of France. CONDITION: Generally
excellent. COMMENTS: Circa 1900, the miniature
dolls were offered in Paris department store
catalogs of the era in glass-fronted presentation
boxes. VALUE POINTS: Fine unplayed with condition
of the swivel head all bisque doll, in original
costumes and presentation.
Presale Estimate:
700/900
Realized Price:
$650
32" (81 cm). Bisque socket head, blue glass sleep
eyes, dark eyeliner encircles the eyesocket,
painted lashes, slightly modelled brushstroked
brows with decorative glaze, accented nostrils
and eye corners, open mouth with shaded and
outlined lips, brunette mohair wig over plaster
pate, composition and wooden ball-jointed body.
CONDITION: Generally excellent. MARKS: M 1/2 made
in Germany 16 171 (head) Excelsior Germany
(body). COMMENTS: Kestner, circa 1900. VALUE
POINTS: The pretty dolly faced model has
excellent bisque and painting, original body and
body finish, antique costume.
Presale Estimate:
900/1200
Realized Price:
$950
20" (51 cm). Bisque socket head with hand-pressed
detail of modelling, very narrow blue glass inset
eyes in squinting expression, painted lashes,
incised upper eyeliner, widely arched multi-
feathered brows, accented eye corners, shaded
nostrils, closed mouth modelled as though open in
sobbing expression, shaded and accented lips, row
of modelled and painted upper teeth, shaded
tongue, separately sculpted pierced ears, deeply
modelled expressive lines around the mouth and
eyes, blonde mohair wig over cork pate, French
composition and wooden fully jointed body,
antique maroon woolen dress with lace and
embroidered trim, matching bonnet, undergarments,
red silk shoes signed "9" and "Bebe Jumeau Med
d'Or Paris Depose" in gilt lettering. CONDITION:
Generally excellent. MARKS: 211 (incised) Depose
Tete Jumeau Bte SGDG 9 (stamp on head, along with
artist's checkmarks). COMMENTS: Emile Jumeau,
from the firm's 200 character series introduced
in 1892. VALUE POINTS: Very rare character doll
is especially appealing due to superb quality of
modelling, choice decoration and bisque.
Presale Estimate:
30000/40000
Realized Price:
$850