5. Outstanding French Bisque Poupée with Portrait Features and Rare Body 18” (46 cm.) Bisque shoulderhead with perfectly-oval face, defined throat hollow and shoulder clefts, brilliant cobalt blue glass eyes in deeply-set sockets, dark eyeliner, painted lashes, brushstroked brows, closed mouth with accented lips, delicate rose blushing, unpierced ears, brunette human hair over cork pate with rare wax coating, kid-stretched-overwooden poupée body with shapely torso, kid-over-wooden upper arms, thighs and upper calves with dowel jointing, bisque arms to above the elbows with cupped hands, bisque lower legs with bare feet. Condition: generally excellent, body especially sturdy. Comments: French, circa 1867, the poupée was likely created to present at the important Paris International Exposition of that year. Value Points: the extraordinary beauty of the poupée with notable definition of features is enhanced further by very rare early body in pristine condition, and wearing lovely antique gown, undergarments, leather shoes, coronet and coral necklace. $6000/8500
5. Detail
6. An Extraordinary Rare French Bisque Gentleman Poupée with Wooden Body and Painted Eyes 17” (43 cm.) Bisque head with flat-cut neck with swivel attachment to matching 6. Detail shoulderplate, oval-shaped face with high domed forehead, painted blue eyes in deeply set sockets, dark upper eyeliner, grey eyeshadow around the eye, arched brows, aquiline nose with accented nostrils, closed mouth with impressed lip corners, shaded ears, blonde mohair curly wig on cork pate, stretched-kid over wooden body with dowel-jointing at shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, bisque hands with artfully sculpted cupping, wearing antique gentleman’s woolen costume with shirt, tie, woven undergarments, black socks, leather shoes, and beaver opera top hat. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: French, circa 1867, from an exceptionally rare series of dolls likely created for the Paris 1867 International Exposition; only six other examples of this model are known including an example costumed as the Princess de Lamballe, sold by Theriault’s in the 1996 auction A Fully Perfected Grace. Value Points: outstanding quality of modeling and bisque on this extremely rare model, wooden body with bisque hands. $8000/12,000
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