Soirée: Antique Dolls and Automata
Over 250 of the world’s finest and rare antique dolls, automata, and music boxes are offered on Saturday, May 14th featuring the collection of the late Ron Connor of Rogers, Arkansas collected over many decades. 9" x 12". Softbound. 160 pages.
$75.00
Catalog Lot List details
24" (61 cm.) Bisque socket head, amber-brown glass paperweight inset eyes, thick dark eyeliner, painted lashes, mauve blushed eye shadow, brush-stroked and feathered brows, shaded nostrils, accented eye corners, closed mouth with defined space between the shaded and outlined lips, dimpled chin and philtrum, separately modeled pierced ears, brunette hand-tied human hair wig over cork pate, French composition and wooden fully-jointed body with straight wrists, beautiful rose brocade costume with silk fringe and cord, antique undergarments and superb silk bonnet, Jumeau stockings and leather shoes signed "Bebe Jumeau Depose". Condition: generally excellent. Marks: Depose Jumeau 10 (incised) Bebe Jumeau Hors Concours. Comments: Emile Jumeau, circa 1885. Value Points: rare model made for one or two years only, has a superb expression enhanced by fine luminous patina, original body and body finish, signed Jumeau shoes.
Presale Estimate:
4000/5500
Realized Price:
$4,250
19" (48 cm.) A bisque head doll with blue glass eyes, painted features, open mouth, four porcelain teeth, blonde mohair wig, carton torso and legs, wire upper arms, and bisque forearms, is standing upon a velvet-covered wooden base with ebony feet, alongside a tripod table. Standing on the base is an all-bisque doll with blue glass eyes, and jointed limbs. The larger doll holds a wooden baton in one hand, and balances the all-bisque doll in the other. When wound, music plays and she turns her head side to side, waving the baton in one hand, as though to accompany the little "dancing" doll. Condition: generally excellent, music and mechanism function well. Marks: 44-21 (doll). Comments: French, circa 1900, with bisque head by Gebruder Kuhnlenz. Value Points: charming vignette automaton, the doll wearing original rose silk dress with matching bicorn hat.
Presale Estimate:
3500/6500
Realized Price:
$4,250
27"(69 cm.) overall. 10"shoulder width. Of fine ivory and black silk in alternating vertical bands edged by silver braid, and decorated by matching lappets with silver bells at their tips, the costume was designed for wear at a luxury Parisian festival party by young child. Excellent condition. French, circa 1885.
Presale Estimate:
700/1000
Realized Price:
$750
37" (94 cm.) h. 22" base. Arranged upon a red velvet covered wooden base is an elegant lady seated at a piano-harp. She has a bisque portrait head with brown paperweight inset eyes, thick dark eyeliner, painted lashes, rose-blushed eye shadow, brush-stroked and feathered brows, accented eye corners, shaded nostrils, closed mouth with beautifully-shaped outlined lips, separately-modeled pierced ears, paper mache shoulder plate designed to allow "breathing", carton torso and legs in seated pose with glued-on stockings and heeled shoes. bisque forearms with exquisite hands, wearing elaborate and elegant silk and lace costume with pearl jewelry. The piano-harp is painted pale yellow with gold-leaf painted carved borders and decorative painted colorful flowers, and has surmounting harp and sheet music rack. When the automaton is wound and lever released, the lady moves her hands across the top of the keyboard as though performing, turns her head, and "breathes" as though in awe of her own beautiful music. Four tunes play. Condition: generally excellent, early and fine restoration of painting and costume with antique fabrics and materials, mechanism and music function well. Marks: Depose Tete Jumeau 10 (and artist checkmarks on head). Comments: Vichy, the model appeared in the firm's catalog described as "Piano Watteau", catalog number 466, and was designated as a deposed model by the firm, circa 1888. Value Points: extremely rare luxury quality automaton with splendid bisque portrait face, compelling presence and movements including breathing, very beautiful presentation.
Presale Estimate:
25,000/35,000
Realized Price:
$22,500
13" (33 cm.) A bisque-headed couple are posed in each others arms, in formal dance position, each with blue glass eyes, beautifully painted facial features, carton torso, paper mache legs and metal hands on man, bisque forearms on woman. Each doll has its original white mohair wig in very elaborate coiffure, and is wearing its original blue and ivory cream silk ballroom costume in the 1790 style, the woman with original pearl necklace and earrings, and silk floral arrangement in hair. The woman fits upon a metal cone "skirt" that contains mechanism, and is hidden by her silk skirt. When wound, the dolls twirl about, pause, reverse, repeat, and meanwhile the entire piece glides along on three wheeled-base. Condition: generally excellent, music and mechanism function well. bisque heads perfect, some restoration to woman's fingers. Marks: (two tune paper label are on base indicating "La Jolie Parfum" and "L'Espana Valse"). Comments: Gustav Vichy, circa 1880. A paper note, handwritten in 1959 and attached to the metal cone tells the provenance of the automaton, detailing that in 1880 "mon grand-pere Jules Boissier" brought some dolls from Paris to his six year old daughter Caroline, adding that the automaton that the piece had passed down in the Boissier family, to Isabelle, then to Jules and, in 1959. finally to Noel. It was after this time the time piece was acquired at a Theriault's auction from the original family, Value Points: superbly-preserved luxury automaton combines exquisite sculpting of faces with couturier costumes, original music and tune labels, and realistically-rendered elegant dance movements.
Presale Estimate:
12,000/16,000
Realized Price:
$9,500
16" (41 cm.) Bisque swivel head on kid-edged bisque shoulder plate, pale blue glass enamel eyes with darker blue outer rims, painted lashes and brows, accented nostrils, closed mouth with outlined lips, ears pierced into head, blonde mohair wig over cork pate, kid poupee body with gusset-jointing at elbows, hips and knees, stitched and separated fingers, beautifully costumed. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: 3 (head and shoulders). Comments: Jumeau, circa 1875. Value Points: an especially lovely face with gentle expression, very delicate complexion, sturdy original body, original wig.
Presale Estimate:
2500/3500
Realized Price:
$3,000
20" (51 cm.) Bisque socket head, blue glass sleep eyes, mohair lashes, painted lower lashes, brush-stroked and feathered brows, accented nostrils, open mouth, outlined lips, four porcelain teeth, pierced ears, blonde mohair wig over cork pate, French composition and wooden fully-jointed body. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: Dep 8 (incised on head, and red stamp Tete Jumeau, head) Au Nain Bleu E. Chauviere Boul des Capucines, 27, Paris (body). Comments: French, Jumeau/SFBJ, circa 1905. From the original property of Suzanne Waterman, one of five children of the Waterman family of Warren, Rhode Island, prosperous owners of a mill in that town. After her father's death at her age of 3, her mother remarried an Episcopal minister, Joseph Hutcheson, and the entire family traveled to France where the children were entered in school, and the couple traveled throughout France seeking a chateau to remove to America. They did, and the chateau was dismantled, packed and transported back to Rhode Island, occupying an entire ship. Upon its arrival in Rhode Island, the chateau was re-designed into the famed Villa Sera under the guidance of the famous architect, Charles Platt, noted for his insistence on integrating landscape into building design (www.beyondthegildedage.com/2012/02/villasera.html). Also brought back from France with the Waterman family was Suzanne's doll, purchased for her at the famed Parisian doll shop of Au Nain Bleu, along with the doll's original trunk and extensive trousseau; this doll was cherished by Suzanne throughout her entire life, and passed on to family members until its acquisition by Carolyn Guise in 1982 where it has remained until this present time. Value Points: wonderfully-preserved original-owner doll has fine original wig, body, body finish, and owns an extensive trousseau of dresses, coats, undergarments, hats, shoes, accessories, and more, each of the garments bearing the original cloth label of Au Nain Bleu, and most in impeccable condition; the trousseau is stored in its original doll trunk which also bears the label of Au Nain Bleu. In all, an extraordinary treasure of objects enhanced by a remarkable family story.
Presale Estimate:
7000/9500
Realized Price:
$7,750
30" (76 cm.) Standing upon a flat wooden base with bronze velvet cover is a bisque-head bebe with brown glass paperweight eyes, closed mouth, painted features, extended length brunette mohair wig, carton torso and legs, composition lower arms, wears a maroon velvet and ivory silk dress with lace and ribbon trim, maroon velvet shoes, and lavish straw bonnet. A wicker basket decorated with green silk ribbons is attached to the side of her torso, and hiding under the basket lid is a white pup. A toy theatre is attached to the other side of her torso, decorated with rose and yellow silk draperies, a red silk curtain, and gilt metal ormolu decorations; inside the theatre is an acrobat. Condition: generally excellent, mechanism and music function well. Marks: 12 (head) G.V. (key). Comments: Gustav Vichy, circa 1885, the bebe model is the rare Jumeau Triste by Emile Jumeau. When wound seven movements occur: the girl turns to the left, the curtain arises, and the acrobat performs a complicates series of movements including tumbling, reversals, and balancing, and then the curtain comes down; she then turns to the right and blows kisses, the lid of the puppy basket arises and the puppy waves a friendly greeting with one paw. Meanwhile three musical tunes (Le Petit Bleu Valse, La Cour et la Main [word illegible], and La Princess de la Canaries, listed on the underside of the theatre) merrily play. The automaton was offered in the 1884 Paris department store catalog of Au Louvre at the extraordinary price of 290 francs, about ten times the cost of a luxury doll in the same catalog, and was also distributed by G. Baker Troll of Geneva, shown in an 1880s photograph of their showroom. Only one other example is known to exist at this time, but not having the Bebe Triste head. Ex-collection Christian Bailly.
Presale Estimate:
28,000/42,000
Realized Price:
$40,000
23" (58 cm.) A garden scene with a centering flowering tree in the background and various shrubs and ferns upon the painted ground, features an elegant musical and acrobatic performance. Posed upon an acrobatic balancing bar is a bisque head doll with sculpted hair and painted facial features, loosely-jointed wooden limbs, wearing a fine silk theatrical costume, and seated on either side are bisque-head musicians with sculpted hair and painted features, one a lady harpist with silk gown and the other a gentleman mandolin player. When wound, music plays (two tunes), the acrobat dances across the balancing bar, while the musicians play, moving heads and arms. Condition: generally excellent. Mechanism functions well, music needs adjustment. Comments: Phalibois, circa 1865. Value Points: superbly-preserved luxury automaton with splendid details of costume and setting, the charming scene is preserved on original ebony base under original four-sided glass dome.
Presale Estimate:
8000/12,000
Realized Price:
$6,000
25" (64 cm.) Pressed bisque swivel head on bisque shoulder plate, blue glass paperweight inset eyes, beautifully painted lashes and brows accented by rose blushed eye shadow, accented nostrils, closed mouth with heart-shaped upper lips, separately modeled pierced ears, blonde mohair wig over cork pate, French kid gusset-jointed body with shapely torso, gusset-jointed limbs, stitched and separated fingers, wearing original wedding gown of fine Alencon lace with four scalloped-edge tiers at the front, fitted top with lace overlay, extended lace train, undergarments, silk slippers, fine tulle veil with wax orange blossom coronet, double strand of pearls and pearl earrings. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: 10 (head, and artist checkmarks) Jumeau Medaille d'Or Paris (body). Comments: Emile Jumeau, circa 1878. Value Points: the grand size poupee is in superb condition, with fine quality bisque, very sturdy original body, exquisite costume.
Presale Estimate:
6500/8500
Realized Price:
$5,750