Portrait Jumeau Doll, ca. 1876

Appraised on: July 28, 2007

Appraised in: Louisville, Kentucky

Appraised by: Richard Wright

Category: Dolls

Episode Info: Louisville, Hour 3 (#1215)

Originally Aired: May 5, 2008

IMAGE: 1 of 1  

Appraisal Video: (2:12)

GUEST: I don't know a whole lot about it, but it was given to me by a woman in her early 90s. And it was also given to her by another woman that originally owned the doll. She was going into a nursing home and she asked me if I had a... knew a little girl that would like to have a doll and I said, yes, I've got a daughter that's about four years old, and so she gave it to me. And I've been trying to find out things about it, and I've looked on the computer and I've looked at books before that, and, uh, I really don't know anything about it.

APPRAISER: Would you guess how old she is?

GUEST: I had a lady that told me that it was probably in the late 1800s.

APPRAISER: It was made, actually, around 1876. Any idea who made it?

GUEST: I've been told it could be a Bru or it could be a Jumeau. I don't know.

APPRAISER: Unfortunately, there's no marks on it at all. There's no mark on the head, there's no mark on the body. But that's a good thing. It's actually a Jumeau.

GUEST: It is?

APPRAISER: It's what they call a Portrait Jumeau with the extreme eyes. These wraparound blue paperweight eyes. An early eight ball joint body. The clothing was made for her in the period 1876, 1878. The only thing that's not original with her is her hair. But if you do this... you find there's her original wig, which is made out of sheepskin, which you can see is worn. And it would've been a little frizzier, like sticking out a little bit more. But you really wouldn't do anything to it. Just leave it alone. So, luckily, that's retained. This you don't need to use.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: So very good condition. Beautiful eyes. Very fine quality bisque. I guess you want to know what she's worth.

GUEST: I would like to know that very much.

APPRAISER: At a very good doll shop, expect to pay retail between $12,000 and $15,000 for her.

GUEST: Really?

APPRAISER: Yeah, really. So now you know who she is. And she looks much better with that new wig off her head.

GUEST: So leave the wig off.

APPRAISER: Leave the wig off.

GUEST: Thank you so much.

APPRAISER: Thank you, Charles.

GUEST: I had no idea. But, I mean, that really throws me.