There is something about an all-original doll that is intriguing, no matter the maker or the rarity. Just the costume on this petite, Unis SFBJ, bisque head doll with painted features and five-piece composition body earns admiration, as she has worn it since day one of her production. Depicting a girl from a country region of France, she is a study of late 19th-century rural costume and home life. She could be a finishing touch in a small garden or outdoor setting with maybe a little lamb or two by her side!

Affectionately called the “long-faced” Jumeau for her apparently somber mood, the Jumeau Triste (“sad” in French) offers an important spot in your Bebe collection. Maybe she is just one of those friends who doesn’t smile a lot, but instead displays a pensive depth in her natural expression.

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 is incised with the number “13,” and the body is of the typical Triste style, featuring a very chunky torso, jointed arms and legs, but with straight wrists. It is well-marked on the back with “Jumeau Medaille D’Or.” There is a small white rub on her lower left cheek.

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

This French decorative confection box features a bisque Francois Gaultier swivel head with glass eyes, brown mohair wig, and closed mouth. The container separates at its widest part, revealing an empty cavity that originally held sweets. The cardboard cone is covered in original ecru silk faille, adorned with lace layers and streaming silk ribbon. Condition is excellent.