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.  

What a beautiful look she has, with dark brown paperweight eyes, detailed lashes, brows and shading, an elongated face with a rose pink closed mouth, pale, creamy bisque and pierced ears. Her antique blond wig is a hand sewn masterpiece with long, flowing locks called tails and it is possibly original. The head in incised “13” and the body is the typcical Triste style with the very chunky torso, jointed arms and legs, but with straight wrists and it is well marked in the back “Jumeau Medaille D'Or.”   There is a small white rub on her lower left cheek. 

Her antique costume is multi-layered with an under dress of feather-light ecru net over a fine silk lining and covering that up is a deepest blue, velvet coat dress with a faint ecru dotted pattern and pearly buttons. Her undergarments are so Jumeau with the crisp half slip and pantaloons, with matching camisole and she wears an antique satin, silk and lace trimmed bonnet, also in ecru. Her black leather shoes are antique child shoes.

 We love our early Steiner children with their almost primitive look, including spiral enamel, almond shaped eyes, open mouth with two rows of teeth, palest, almost white bisque, subtle painting of features and full, extra youthful face. Very interesting is her early head opening, which, instead of starting at the top of the forehead, is a smaller round hole towards the back of the head, sealed with a fine fitting, round cork. The sheepskin wig in a subdued platinum is not original, however it does have some age. The body is interesting, as it has the form and construction of a Steiner body, but from slightly later era, having jointed shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, straight wrists and slim fingers.

While the Jumeau firm was one of the most prolific of doll companies with its numerous eras marked by evolving head molds, the earliest portrait bebe seems to earn the most adoration for its ethereal quality.  She is sometimes angelic, sometimes primitive due to her enunciated eye cuts, sometimes mesmerizing in expression, but always breathtaking.  The earliest portrait is designated by the low numbers in the size range, this one being a size 1 at 16 ˝”.

 She has bright, spiraled blue paperweight eyes, pale multi-stroke brows and lashes, a closed mouth with rather full, peachy lips, and the palest of early bisque that is lightly shaded on the cheeks.  Her ears are pierced and she wears a newer wig of soft, blond mohair, much like her original wig would have been. Her French composition body is not mark with the  Jumeau stamp, but is most definitely her original Jumeau body, having its chunky torso and limbs, large mitt- type hands, straight wrists and is jointed at the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees with eight wood balls.