Simon & Halbig Doll with Jumeau Costume, ca. 1890
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GUEST:
This doll was bought in the United States, and my sister was so enthusiastic about her because she seemed so unusual, and her costuming was so different from anything we'd ever seen before. So I had to wait quite a long time, and she talked to me several times on the phone about her, and finally flew out, hand-carrying her, to gift her to me.
APPRAISER:
And you said your sister paid $500 for it—
GUEST:
That’s correct.
APPRAISER:
--this doll-- and you were wondering why she has this outfit on.
GUEST:
Exactly.
APPRAISER:
Well, this is actually a German doll made by the Simon and Halbig firm, which was a very prestigious firm in the 1800s. And the reason she's dressed as she is, is that Simon and Halbig made dolls and exported them to France for different makers. On the back of the doll is a label that says Jumeau, which is a French firm. So I think this was a special order where Simon and Halbig made the head, shipped it to the Jumeau firm, and then they costumed it in this wonderful Joan of Arc costume. Simon and Halbig is known for their wonderful bisque. This doll has original finish on her composition ball-jointed body, and then the costume is just fabulous. Over here, we have the little sword. Look at the detail in the vest-- somebody's spent a lot of time on that-- and then as we come down, look at the nice silk costume and the wonderful sandals. So it's a German influence, but sent to France, with a Joan of Arc influence. What also I like about the story about your sister is that she bought these for you, and what did she use to do to trick you as a child?
GUEST:
Well, in order to get her room cleaned, she always promised that I could look at her dolls, so I would clean her room, and then she would take her storybook dolls off the shelf and show them to me for a short period of time, and then put them up again until the room needed cleaning.
APPRAISER:
But you became a doll collector, yet she goes and buys the dolls for you...
GUEST:
That's correct.
APPRAISER:
And she paid $500. It's now worth about $1,500, so it has appreciated and will continue to appreciate. Thank you for bringing this in.
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