Aunt Janie's Doll Trunk

French Bebe Bru Jne Doll w Tongue Tip - Incredibly All Original

$26,499

Add to Cart
Email Shop Owner
Alert
21 other shoppers are interested in this item

Where Antique French and German Dolls are My Passion!
Better Antique French and German Dolls at Even Better Prices! Sneak a Peek Each Week in Aunt Janie's Doll Trunk!

Silver

since 2017

Affiliations


United Federation of Doll Clubs Logo


Breathe… breathe… Everything will be alright! I know how you feel. Breathless! I found a prime example of Leon Casimir Bru’s earliest version of his beloved Bru Jne Bebe in Aunt Janie’s Doll Trunk today … a petite, 15 inch cabinet-size #4 with perfect bisque head having a molded tongue tip and lower arms jointed at the elbows! What graceful hands! And she’s All Original! Simply hardly ever heard of! But you can be sure! Oh My! My heart is pounding too! It just happens…We can’t help it!
There’s lots to share with you about this treasure, so please grab a cup of tea and sit down for a moment. If you are in the market for a Bru, trust me: she’s good! won’t Very Good! Excellent, in fact! Look at all the wonderful photos, but grab her now and read my descriptive “book” later. It is information you might value as well. You encounter something like this again for a long while! If needed I offer a CUSTOM layaway longer than the typical 6 months, but contact me right away.



HISTORY AND BODY INFORMATION:

The original owner of the firm, Leon Casimir Bru, was prolific in his production of different types of bebe faces and the finished dolls he offered from each mold. He prided himself for his kid bodies, and was well set up for making them since he had produced them for the earlier poupees or lady fashion dolls. He advertised and continued them for his bebes by making slight alterations in the pattern, to create the look of a child.
All three of his different doll faces (or what is now referred to as “generations”), the Brevete, Circle Dot, and finally the Bru Jne, were given primarily kid gusseted bodies with bisque “half lower arms” and hands. Always sensitive to his competition and being an innovator himself, he decided to improve the articulation for his bebe bodies while keeping what he is now best known for…the bisque lower arms and hands. Of course, he was very familiar with the subject since his fully articulated wood bodies with ball joints had earlier been offered on his poupees, the Bebe Modele and the Bebe Musique. So in 1882 he introduced the “new arms” for the Bru Jne which would allow full movement at the shoulders and elbows, adding to the lifelikeness and pose ability. The change was dramatic for the children who owned them! The upper arm involved kid covered ridged metal (later wood) that could be drilled to accept the metal rivets going through the wood ball articulation at the shoulders and the bisque lower arms were extended to the elbow with a ball joint incorporated in the mold so pegs could attach them through the holes drilled in the bottom of the upper arm. This was over a year and a half prior to selling his business to Henri Chevrot in late 1883. I tell you this because some mistakenly believe that the “new arms”, which this little girl is so happy to have, originated with the later “Chevrot Body”. History books confirm that indeed, the Bru Jne head, along with the articulated arms was already in use by Leon Casimir Bru, as shown in the photographic medallion trademark he registered that was to be hung around the neck of his bebes in 1883.
In all her beauty, this little Bru Jne epitomizes the highest pinnacle of the respected Monsieur Leon Casimir Bru’s doll-making career before selling to Henry Chevrot. SIGNIFICANTLY, she is an example of Bru’s “last epoch”, a darling little bebe Bru Jne created fully and completely while the master doll maker was, himself, head at the helm.

HEAD:
Once in a while, in our wonderful world of antique dolls, I am captivated by the spell binding brilliance of a masterfully created, delicate little Bru Jne mademoiselle like this. Obviously, early from the mold, her features and markings are crisp and clean. She is fully marked in all the right places with a matching “4” on the head and the shoulder plate. This tender-hearted treasure with tantalizing tongue tip also has sparkling amber paperweight eyes, that simply draw you in! As you study the photos, you will appreciate the skillful brush strokes that laid down her facial features with such confidence and brought her into being. As an artist by training, I certainly do and can attest to the fact that it had to be love that breathed the alluring “life” into her. It is difficult to believe that an artist/craftsman, could have such powers! (Of course, it is the power of love I speak of when I correlate this to how God felt towards His creation!) Having met her in person, I know she is so incredibly precious … near pristine!

THE SAGA OF HER CLOTHING:
I gently held her close, hoping that if the dream lasted long enough, I would hear the story of her 145 year lifetime that appears as if it only began a Christmas ago! Surely, she must have donned her winter wonderland finery as if it was all planned. I whispered in her ear that it appeared as if some haute couture magician had truly sought to please in the evident efforts to present her in such an extensive, sophisticated, monochromatic Winter ensemble! With care I counted 17 pieces that have stayed with her for nearly a century and a half. Price guides mention that having original clothing can add 50% or more to the value of a doll because it is such an extraordinary thing! In this one complete costume I found it included her shoes and socks, 5 pieces of jewelry such as earrings, enameled pins, and little pocket watch, 3 items of under clothing such as split drawers, chemise and half-slip, and the main attraction of coat dress, unique cape collar, hat and muff!
At front and center of her coat dress is a shirred cream silk brocade which punctuates the bodice opening. Deep, narrow, vertical knife pleats with lace tucked into each, mirror one another on both sides and continue around to the rear. They provide 3 layers for Winter warmth (not to mention structural stability). Her smoothly rounded, childlike bosom is tastefully exposed by the surprisingly low, broad neckline trimmed with three layers of lace. Suddenly the thought entered my mind that she must have been on her way to a winter dance. Why else would a haute couture envision the appropriateness of such a neckline for a coat dress? But she needn’t have feared the threat of a chill because a large, most uniquely scalloped felt, cape-like collar had been drawn close under her chin with a darling little enameled pink rose pin. I drew another breath in amazement! I’ve seen that saw-toothed scallop cut before! Only the finest couture houses used such cutting blades for their custom gown designs. Ahh! But wasn’t that the very same scallop found on Bru’s attractive kid breast plate bands that attached the kid body torso to the bisque bosom? Sure enough!
The softly draped folds of a silk satin cummerbund at the low waist surround her hips and are drawn to a huge, bustled bow for interest in the back. The skirt is a combination of wider pleats flanked by flat panels on either side, both front and back. I noted the added special effect of a luxurious DOUBLE layered, pleated inner flounce at the hem. I just wished some pesky little pest had never even dared to take a few nibbles here and there of the irresistible wool fibers of this fine coat dress!

That being little noticed and quickly overlooked, my eyes fell upon the little gold watch and chain on her satin cummerbund which so jauntily accented her ensemble. Peering closer, I saw that it was attached with a twin of the tiny rose enameled pin on her collar but this one was in blue! How darling! She’d made sure she’d be home from the dance on time.

In the next second, I glimpsed this little angel’s iridescent, expressively sculpted bisque hands making their way into an amazingly soft, silk velvet muff trimmed in curious little silk tufts of fuzzy chenille looking like a furrier’s collection of tiny white fox tails. And lo and behold, the same trimming framed her face around the brim of her matching silk velvet bonnet all generously tucked and shirred in back. Both were set with luxurious silk faille ribbons, which led me to believe they must have been the work of a master milliner, as evidenced by the embossed gold signature of “Mme R. Heussler of 127 Fifth Avenue New York” on the silk lining inside her fine chapeau. Is anyone proficient at solving mysteries? I’ve tried and have some ideas. Had the master French milliner, Mme R. Heussler, who at some point worked at a fine shop on 5th Avenue in New York, been known by Bru or worked for him from a previous time living in Paris or from the most wealthy area of mansions in New York City and sent him her master pieces to costume his bebes? Or had this little doll arrived to a girl living in one of the mansions of 5th Avenue in New York and then requested the masterful milliner to add the hat and muff to her ensemble? The hat and muff are a matched set made of the same cream color to extend the monochromatic color scheme of the rest of the ensemble and they still look as new as the rest of her clothing. They are perfect in fit, scale and color so had to have been made to for this bebe in particular. I fear the mystery still looms uncertain and will forever remain unsolved.

One thing I am in awe of about this ensemble is the appealing effect of textural contrasts that only a practiced designer could achieve.
I couldn’t believe I was still holding this gorgeous doll! Her innocent eyes twinkled as if to let me know she was pleased with her outfit as well, but she was limited by a molded tongue. She wondered if I had noticed her original, hand-knit champaign colored socks and buttoned shoes proudly bearing the stamp of “Bru Jne Paris” in an oval which were obviously made to order with a “4” deeply embossed at the toe tip of the sole, the same size as found incised on her bisque. I winked at her and she understood. I couldn’t help peeking under all the pleats and lace to note her original split drawers, chemise and half-slip. Wow!


CONDITION:
Her head has been light tested and is free of any damage or repairs. Many sellers may not even see small things, and there are others that negatively affect our hobby by their not mentioning them if they did! Antiques usually have some signs of use or age somewhere. But when it comes to porcelain bisque, time and the elements do not affect it negatively. That is one of the things I like so much about bisque dolls! The bisque can look as new as when it was made! Impact or abrasion can affect bisque, but there is nothing negative that this girl has experienced since manufacture. She has been very well cared for. In light of full disclosure of what I notice on very close examination, she has a tiny “straw mark” a little ways from the outer corner of her left eye less than a quarter inch long that is very shallow and light in color due to the overall tint color collecting there. These “straw marks” were usually smoothed later when the heads were dry but were caused when a craftsman first removed the greenware head from the mold and cleaned the mold lines or other imperfections off with a soft, wet, squirrel-hair brush and then laid the damp greenware head on a bed of straw to dry. At times a shallow scratch which they called a “straw mark” remained. An eagle eye may notice if the doll is held very close up and only at the same time would two light grey dots near the outer lower lashes of the doll’s left eye be noticed. They appear to be where a speck of paint was not completely rubbed off before firing. They are much fainter than the lashes. Finally, very hard to notice, on the lower outer edge of the paperweight glass covering the right iris, there is a slight concave dip done in the glassblowing process and not damage. It is not on the dome of the glass and is invisible except when looking from a very low angle and in just the right light so is not at all distracting from the doll’s appearance when in a normal position. As usual, there are a few rough areas on the bisque lower arms from the silica sand they were bedded on during the high firing. Her arms have been brought back to the ability to hold a pose by a professional who tightened them.

Oh! What a prize! Perhaps YOU will give her a place of prominence in your home. Without a doubt, she would forever be grateful and always bring a smile to your face. But of course, love at first sight is usually the deciding factor!
I know you will forever “thank your lucky stars” that you didn’t hesitate to make an investment you will be able to enjoy no matter what the market does.

Please enlarge all the many photos offered for your review. It may require two clicks to be able to drag your cursor all around that largest enlargement. I want you to have confidence in what you are purchasing after a chance to practically meet her in person.

Please contact me by message or by phone at 714-213-0933 between the hours of 10 am - 5 pm Pacific time with questions or requests for more photos of which I have many.

SHIPPING:
For everyone's benefit when an item is of high value, I require shipments of purchases over $5000 to go USPS "Registered Mail" because it can be insured for full value. This is not provided as an option in Ruby Lane's system when making a listing but is a very good value. Therefore, I give an estimated set price with any overage refunded. It may take a little longer because it is kept securely locked up and signed for each stop along the way. Signature confirmation is included with it.

Please note that the little green book, the horse pull toy and figurine are photographic props and are not included in this sale.

Thank you for visiting my shop today. I hope it was enjoyable, and you will return soon, as I will be adding some very special treasures found in Aunt Janie’s Doll Trunk very soon. Following my shop will give you the earliest opportunity to view these treasures prior to showing up as a new arrival when I offer them. As an artist myself, you can trust my eye for selecting the dolls with that "4th dimension"... the ones you can “connect with” because they were made with love…the best there is to offer. Let me know your wish list, as that special item may be waiting its turn to enjoy being on display in a loving, welcoming home.


LAYAWAY:
If you are interested in purchasing by layaway, you will be given the opportunity to request approval of the plan that best fits your needs. See my Terms of Sale including all layaway information by following the link for Terms of Sale found below all item photos on my home page. Approval of a layaway agreement is reserved by the seller and if approved, means that you agree to all terms.
Item id: RLJA01252402
Color: Cream