Jumeau Dolls – Jumeau was a French company, founded in the early 1840s, which designed and manufactured high quality bisque dolls. It was founded by Louis-Desire Belton and Pierre-François Jumeau in the Maison Jumeau of Montreuil-sous-Bois, near Paris, France. While Belton did not remain with the company for long, under Jumeau’s leadership (and later, under the leadership of his son, Emile), the company soon gained a reputation for dolls with beautiful faces and “exquisite” clothing which replicated the popular fashions of the time.
Code Embed: No embed code was found for CODEjumeauus
The Jumeau company first emerged as a partnership between Louis-Desire Belton and Pierre-François Jumeau in Paris in the early 1840s. In 1844, Belton and Jumeau presented their dolls at the Paris Exposition (at which they received an honorable mention), but by 1846 Belton’s name was no longer associated with the dolls, and Jumeau was trading in his own right. A bronze medal in the 1849 Paris Exposition followed, as did an appearance at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, at which the company was awarded a First Place Medal. Through much of this period, the firm sold only their own dolls to wholesalers, although during the 1850s and 1860s, the company moved into selling wax dolls imported from Britain.
Renou ‘Girl with mouse’ automaton, French circa 1900
The bisque Tete Jumeau with blue glass paper-weight eyes, painted lashes and feather brows, closed mouth, pierced ears and remains of wig with cork pate, wearing original black and white dress with white blouse and holding a stick, standing on a brown velvet covered base with key wind, the table covered in gold silk cloth with painted tin plate cage containing mouse, when wound, music plays ‘Daisy, Daisy’, head moves up and own, right arm raises and lowers stick, left arm lifts cage door and the mouse scuttles in and out of his cage, 40cm (16in) tall. Sold for £1,625 at Bonhams
A Tete Jumeau Bébé No.8
with brown glass eyes, closed mouth, pierced ears, replaced brown wig on original cork pate and jointed papier mache body, wearing green wool frock with cream satin pleated front and lace trim, pale blue and lace bonnet, underclothes and cream shoes –18½in. (47cm.) high, red ink stamp on back of head and blue stamp on body (hands repainted and frock distressed) Sold for GBP 1,080 at Christies
A Tete Jumeau Bébé No.8
with brown glass eyes, closed mouth, pierced ears, replaced brown wig on original cork pate and jointed papier mache body, wearing green wool frock with cream satin pleated front and lace trim, pale blue and lace bonnet, underclothes and cream shoes –18½in. (47cm.) high, red ink stamp on back of head and blue stamp on body (hands repainted and frock distressed) Sold for GBP 1,080 at Christies
Large Tete Jumeau Bisque Head Doll. Large bisque head has glass eyes, painted brows, lashes and lips, stamped “Depose Tete Jumeau, Bte, S.G.D.G” with size number “13”, also hand painted numbers “46-8”. A composition body with jointed head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips and knees. In good overall condition, 27 in. high. Sold For: $3,000
French 19th century Bebe Jumeau bisque socket head doll. Incised with a 3 and a V below in blue. Composition body is marked Jumeau Medaille d’or Paris, made by Emile Jumeau. The doll has multi stroke eyebrows, blue paperweight eyes, painted upper and lower lashes, closed mouth with lip shading strokes, pierced ears with earrings, original cork pate and blonde mohair wig. Beautifully dressed in vintage clothing, lace trimmed undies, stockings, newer leather shoes and straw hat In good condition, composition body has areas of old touch up. Doll is in good condition with no damage. Measures 12.5 inches high. Sold For: $4,000 at Myers Fine Art
Bisque headed doll with kid leather stitched body. The doll has blonde coloured mohair, a floral garland and pierced ears with turquoise drop earrings and a turquoise pendant necklace. She has pale blue glass eyes, painted eyelashes and fine features.
The doll is has a full set of clothing including undergarments but is missing any stockings or shoes.. She also has a fur muff, contained in a checkered box.
This doll is a lovely example of a larger poupee, a fashion doll produced by the famous French doll company, Jumeau. The doll does not have any kind of company mark on the head which was fairly usual of these poupees, but she is thought to be made by Jumeau.
Jumeau began manufacturing bisque dolls in the 1840s, firstly in Paris and then in Montreuil-sous-Bois just outside Paris and reached the height of their popularity around the 1880s. Their dolls are commonly thought to be some of the finest bisque dolls of the 19th century because of a high level of craftsmanship and a level of detail given to dressing the dolls in beautiful clothing and accessories. She has been dressed in a beautiful pale blue and beige silk corseted top and full length skirt with highly detailed turquoise drop earrings, a floral garland and a muff with its own box.
Towards the end of the 19th century Jumeau faced increased competition from a wealth of more affordable manufactured dolls, particularly in Germany, but Jumeau dolls, particularly early examples are still highly sought after by collectors.
The company later followed on from their popular adult fashion dolls by producing the hugely popular Jumeau Bebes from 1877. These dolls were made in the image of children but still continued to have fashionable costumes and accessories.
© Victoria and Albert Museum
EXCEPTIONAL FRENCH BISQUE EARLY PORTRAIT BEBE IN GRAND EXHIBITION SIZE 30″ (76 cm.) Pressed bisque socket head with very plump cheeks and chin, very wide blue glass paperweight inset eyes with rich spiral threading, thick dark eyeliner, mauve-blushed eye shadow, brushstroked and multi-feathered brows, shaded nostrils, closed mouth with defined space between the delicately-shaded outlined lips, pierced ears, elongated blonde mohair wig over cork pate, French composition and wooden very plump fully-jointed body with straight wrists. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: French, circa 1877, an early mystery portrait bebe, attributed to the premiere bebe creations of Emile Jumeau, and, based upon its size and quality, likely created for the 1878 Paris International Exhibition. Value Points: few portrait bebes of this grand size are known to exist, this example enhanced by superb quality of bisque with luminous complexion, splendid eyes, luxury mohair wig, and wearing very fine early burgundy velvet dress with Belgian lace trim, velvet bonnet, undergarments, stockings and shoes; an additional antique cotton dress, coat and bonnet is included.
Sold for $17,000 at Theriaults
Tete Jumeau Doll Makers Mark