c.1891 PARIS BEBE 19" - Danel et Cie. Original French Closed-Mouth Antique Doll

Description

Rare 19" Closed-Mouth
Paris Bébé - Size 8
By Danel et. Cie
Hard to Find - Before Jumeau Lawsuit Shut Them Down*
Large Paperweight Eyes
Body Stamped with Eiffel Tower Emblem
Original Antique Doll - Made in France c.1891
[
FEATURES AND DETAILS...
]
Such a sweet 19" Paris Bébé #8, with a gorgeous soft facial expression, closed mouth, lovely lips, delicately feathered eyebrows, large dreamy brown paperweight eyes, and pale bisque of the finest quality with excellent painting!
She is incised on the back of the neck: "PARIS BEBE / TETE DEP
ee
/ 8" and she has the distinctive Eiffel Tower stamp of Danel et Cie. on her body.
*
Danel et Cie. and the Court Battle:
According to historical sources online, "
After his departure from the Jumeau Company, Anatole Danel partnered with three other men and formed Danel et Cie.  On October 21, 1889, they registered the trade name “Paris Bebe.” Jumeau had been quiet about his competitor until now.  But the obvious similarities between the bebes of the two companies irritated the partners at Jumeau, who spotted a French copy of a Bebe Jumeau immediately.  At first they filed a complaint that Danel had stolen molds from his factory, but their case was thrown out due to lack of evidence.  Then Jumeau decided to bring suit for unfair competition before the Commerce Tribunal.  At the end of the trial, justice was served.  The courts ordered the destruction of molds, models, and tools involved in the production of “Paris Bebe.”  This decision led to the termination of Danel et Cie on March 29, 1892, and the disappearance of Anatole Danel from the Paris scene."
Her facial expression is cute and childlike. She has a very pretty soft light brown human hair wig on cork pate and her original body.  I do believe the paint is all original (though I'm not an expert in that field).
She is wearing a fantastically sewn costume, tagged by the artist (see photo), with matching hat.
A rare treasure of a French Bébé!  What more could a girl want?
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CONDITION...
]
- Beautiful antique condition, from a non-smoking environment.
- No issues discovered with the bisque after careful examination.
- The cork pate was attached with a bit of adhesive by a previous owner.  I have not detached it, so as not to cause any damage.  Since she has paperweight eyes (not sleep eyes), the head
will not be stuffed for shipping
.  If you are concerned about this,
please let me know
and I will be glad to remove the pate and stuff the head ... but please understand that there might be some flaking of the cork in that case.
- The outfit is in wonderful condition.
- Her body has the hint of some paint chipping, same as what you so often see with Jumeaus of this period.  ALSO, both thighs appear to have split and been repaired.  (The splits were clean, and the repairs well executed.)  This is also not uncommon, because the thighs are relatively thin and hollow, and the pressure of the internal spring in the joint would cause them to split.  All is stabilized now. See final photo.
IMPORTANT:
Besides the noteworthy issues mentioned above, EXPECT any antique doll (bisque/composition/leather/china/wood) to ALSO have:
(1) SIGNS OF AGE - for example: toned/crazed/chipped composition, minor wig pulls, loss of "hair" lashes on bisque heads, not-so-tight stringing, etc., and ...
(2) MINOR CONSERVATION WORK by previous owners/collectors - for example: reset eyes (in most cases!), repairs to wig, repairs to clothing, touch-ups on composition/finish/paint, etc.
SO ... Any MAJOR issues -- hairline crack, total repaint, etc. -- would be itemized above, but these normal age/conservation details are not.  They are to be expected.  Thank you.
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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