When the bright musical tune starts after winding the key and releasing the cord of this charming automaton, you immediately enter an endearing scene with the lady of the house's hands playing the keyboard, the man waving his wand, and the child performing multiple turns or pirouettes upon their direction.   As she dances, both the lady and  gentleman nod their heads in approval.

The heads and hands of the adults are of molded and painted paper mache, and their bodies of wire armature and they wear original silk costumes with elaborate trims, having expected melting from time.  The little girl has a bisque shoulder head with molded blond hair, bisque hands and bisque lower legs with molded shoes, wearing her original cream and aqua silk frock.  The base and piano are of dark stained wood with intricate floral decorative painting on all sides and on top.  The lady is seated on a carved wooden chair and the man, an upholstered stool  So far, it seems like the music plays until finished, however the pull cord may provide the function to stop that has not been discovered.

As if she arrived from Paris just yesterday, this 12" SFBJ 301 Unis bebe is original and fresh from head to toe!  You can look at her as an "almost Bleuette" as her size is less than an inch too large to qualify for that honor.  Starting with her pale bisque, she is enhanced with deep blue glass sleep eyes, feathered painted brows and real hair lashes, an open mouth with teeth, ripe peach shading on her cheeks and her original, coppery red mohair wig to repeat the warm feel.  Her original floral print cotton dress is still vibrant and crisp as are her simple undergarments.

Of great interest are her distinctly tailored, original leather shoes, that have that extra unique detail, inspired by the original Bleuette shoes we see. They are cream with navy detail and quite unusual, as is her closely fitting, original straw bonnet, adorned with paper mache red berries that bring out some of the colors in the dress.  So fine.

For the collector who thrives to acquire antique dolls that offer originality, it is so satisfying to see a French bebe like this one. Behold a 14" size 2/0, first series Jumeau portrait from the earliest bebe production, with huge, almond-shaped, hand cut eye sockets that frame blue spiral paperweight eyes. The decoration of her facial features is gentle with the lightly stroked, dark blond eyebrows, fine and abundant eyelashes, some shadow on the lids, a hint of rouge on the cheeks and the pale colored lips with defining accent lines and a space between the lips. Her original blond mohair wig is long, naturally wavy and thick and she has pierced ears.

 Even the original antique wig that is part of the costume is made of strong, black human hair that is loosely styled, allowing the long locks to fall from the shoulders. She is also shown with an antique, blond mohair wig that she keeps to the side in case she needs it for a future extra outfit. She has warm brown paperweight eyes, lush lashes and finely stroked brows on a molded brow bone, creamy bisque with appealingly shaded cheeks and a closed mouth, in a delicate rose hue with fine outlining of the lips. She has pierced ears with the right earring hole having a chip. As Chevrot bodies go, hers is outstanding in condition and cleanliness of her leather torso, leather over wood upper arms, leather over metal armature upper legs and wood lower legs and carved feet.

The presentation of this size 11 Tete Jumeau is quite mesmerizing, due to her soft, beautiful face blending in with a gently hued, antique outfit that looks like a factory ensemble. She has paperwight eyes that look like two pools of blue water, a closed, subtly tinted and outlined mouth, irredescent, pale bisque and just a hint of shading, softly painted lashes and brows, pierced ears and an antique, long blond mohair wig that has some sparse areas on the crown. Her fully jointed (including the wrists), French composition and wood body has some wear at joints and on hands, but the finish is original and on her lower back is the faint Jumeau mark.  

The ingenious mechanism inside the head is a physics lesson in itself! She has mauve shadow over her eyes and under her soft, gently stroked brows, a nice feature of the early bebes like this one. The subtlety of lightly applied lashes and super pale bisque is continued with a delicate rouge wash over her full and youthful cheeks. She has her original, purple cardboard Steiner pate, her original, long blond monair wig, pierced ears and a closed, rose-petal mouth accented with a slightly darker outline. Her early Steiner child body of composition has stout limbs, straight wrists, “banana” shaped fingers and is jointed at the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees.

We can marvel at the great pose-ability of these Steiner bodies and we can also utilize it by posing her taking a quick nap, reclining in her antique undergarments and lace-up child corset or “stay” For children, the corset was not meant to accentuate the shape, but to provide health benefits like warmth and good posture. Her outfit places her possibly dressed for school, having a pleated cotton/wool blend skirt in hounds tooth, and a solid navy, close-fitting jacket top with plenty of front buttons, top to bottom. The antique, fine leather shoes are in a luggage tan which complement her rare, bourrelet hat used for infants on up to young children in the day. Sort of a Victorian straw helmet!

Still mounted in their original, glass top presentation box is this delightful pair of 7” dolls, a girl and boy, dressed in fancy shepherds costumes of the eighteenth century. The dolls have bisque heads, hands and lower legs, glass eyes and closed mouths, with bodies of firmly stuffed cloth and of course their clothing is original right up to their satin-covered staffs and opulent chapeaux. 

On the pasture with them are four paper mache and wood, fleece covered toy sheep. Still secured in this original display, they have never been played with, therefore in mint condition!

From the house of Henri Alexander in the mid-1880's comes this beguiling French doll (24") called the Phenix Bebe or Phenix Star, due to the *89 incised on the back of her beautiful bisque head. She has large, blue paperweight eyes, an elongated nose, closed mouth and meticulous painting of dramatic features. Her brunette human hair wig could be original, she has pierced ears and has a fully jointed, wood and composition body with some wear at the neckline and joints.  

Recently purchased in Paris, she is contained in her original store box with a large label on the lid that reads “Louvre” which was a thriving department store in her day and is still open on Rue de Rivoli. Quite an unusual piece in remarkable original condition! $950.