c.1892 Ultra-Rare 20" BRU Carton Moule ( Paper Mache ) Head Antique Doll French

Description

Very Rare 20" Bru
Bebe with
Carton Moulé (Papier-Mache) Head
Poupée Kid Lady Body
Original Antique Doll - Made in France - c.1892
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FEATURES AND DETAILS...
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This is an incredibly hard to find Bru that I purchased at a high-end doll auction, where she was verified by their expert as being exactly what she is: the very rare carton mouleé-head Bru.
She has a gusseted kid leather lady body and unsigned carton moulé head with open-closed mouth and two very large, distinctive upper teeth.  It is a swivel head attached to its matching shoulder plate with a spring mount.
According to
The Bru Book
published by Theriault's, she appeared in the 1892 Bru catalogue -- about the same time period when they were experimenting with gutta percha heads.  See the 4th photo attached here, which shows the three head shots provided in
The Bru Book
.  Notice the teeth, the swivel head (third shot), and no markings.  That is how they made this head -- unmarked.
She has brown paperweight eyes.  Her face painting is quite beautiful, with multi-stroke eyebrows, red-accented nostrils and corners of the eye, upper and lower painted eyelashes (faint), cheek blush, and beautiful multi-tone mouth.
She has an antique human hair wig that may be original to her.  Her hands are kid leather, with individually stitched fingers.  The kid body shows the expected aging.  It has a few small repairs (as you see pictured at the knees), and it does leak a few grains of sawdust ... no major leaks.
Your bebe's outfit is possibly original.  It is, of course, hard to establish what she was sold with, since she is so rare.  The dress is hand-stitched, and in lovely condition for its age, meticulously embroidered in a floral pattern, and with maroon velveteen accents.  The material has some age fading, and the velveteen has some age loss.  It has a complementary hat of brown felt with golden-brown silk ribbon and cordage, and black lace.  The silk ribbon has just a tiny hint of fraying; it is actually holding up quite nicely for its age.
Under the dress, she is wearing an antique corset, cotton half slip and pantaloons, all of which have a bit of age loss and foxing.  She has lace stockings that are actually stitched to her legs at the top, and antique heeled black leather boots with buttons and florets, signed on the sole "Trade Mark J J."  The shoes have some age wear/loss, as you see, but they are lovely.
She also has pierced ears (the kind that are pierced straight into the head cavity) fitted with earrings, and a lovely little sewn-on brooch with silk ribbon at the neck.
A lovely, and very rare, 19th-century doll by the renowned French maker!
From a non-smoking environment, of course.
THIS IS AN ANTIQUE DOLL WITH SIGNIFICANT AGE.  PLEASE SUPERSIZE ALL PHOTOS, AND ASK ALL QUESTIONS BEFORE BIDDING/BUYING.  I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER.
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ALL ABOUT SHIPPING...
]
DON'T OVERPAY FOR SHIPPING:
U.S. purchasers, you can choose from various
shipping options
in this listing.  Shipping costs vary dramatically depending on your Zip code, so choose the one that best suits your needs.  I never inflate shipping to make hidden profits.  If you believe the shipping is too high,
please message me
with your Zip code, and I'll be glad to double-check it for you!
SHIPPING UPGRADES:
At our discretion, we may upgrade your shipping to a
different service
at no additional charge to you ... provided it's rated the same (or faster) than the service you chose.  If you
do not
wish to have your shipping choice upgraded,
please message me
as soon as you complete your purchase.
INTERNATIONAL
SHIPPING:
By default, international shipment is through eBay's Global Shipping Program, which means the shipping rate (cost) is determined by eBay -- outside my control.  BUT ...
If you live in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, or U.K.
,
message me
to see whether there
may
be a cheaper alternative using Priority Post -- depending on the size and value of your parcel.
COMBINED SHIPPING:
I will gladly combine shipping if you contact me
and request a
combined invoice
before paying
... and provided the items can travel safely in the same box.
WHAT, NOTHING TO COMBINE!?
Click here to visit my
eBay store
:
"Saddle Mountain Treasures"
(opens in a separate window/tab) ... where you'll find more top-quality antiques/collectibles/artwork/dolls/and more!
- Significantly not as described:
A
major
flaw or discrepancy vs. what was stated in the listing.
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RETURN POLICY ON DOLL LOTS...
]
It is with deep regret that -- after 14 years selling on eBay, and with 100% positive feedback -- I've had to change my return policy on dolls to "NO RETURNS, AND NO PARTIAL REFUNDS."
As often happens, it's the few bad apples out there who ruin it for the rest of us. These dishonest people will buy a doll, then try to improve or restore it ... not knowing what they're doing. And then, when they realize they've ruined the doll, they return it saying it was defective.  Or else they keep the doll and demand a "partial refund" based on the alleged defect -- which is another trending scam on eBay.
I sell these dolls for a living so,
my sincere apologies to you
-- the honest majority of eBay buyers -- that I can no longer afford to accept doll returns.  (Of course,
shipping loss or damage
is a different matter; that is fully covered by insurance.)
BUT HAVING SAID ALL THAT ...
I do bend over backwards, attempting to disclose any noteworthy condition issues I can find or think of. But these are antique and vintage dolls -- so, please understand that
they won't be in brand-new condition
. There will always be some minor indication of their age, and it would be impossible to itemize every single pinhead-size stain on the outfit, or hairline scratch on the body.  Please expect these types of conditions with old dolls.
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