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Bru Jne & Cie Dolls 1866-1899
French
The Bru Jne & Cie company
was located in France and manufactured some of the most beautiful and
treasured bisque dolls that have ever been made. Dolls are commonly referred
to as "Bru" dolls, but nothing about them is common,
want to make an Antique Doll Collector Faint, mention you bought a Bru
doll for less than a few thousand dollars and have some smelling salts handy
or they may think you are referring to, just a pair of shoes.
There are three basic types of Bru
dolls; Poupée de Mode or Lady Fashion Doll (literal translation is Doll of Fashion with a
Lady body),
Bébé Bru doll (literal translation is Bru doll) on a kid leather body and a Bru Doll
with a
wood and composition body. Some bisque heads were supplied to Bru Jne
& Cie by Eugene Barrois.
A Bru Oriental doll is usually marked Bru Jne.
After 1899 Bru Jne &
Cie became a member of the Society Française de
Fabrication de Bébé & Jouets - SFBJ and continued to produce their Bru and
Bébé dolls
thru the mid 1920s.
Because of the great value attached to
the Bru dolls, they are reproduced by artists more often than other antique dolls.
See below for more photos and dolls identified
Bru Jne & Cie Dolls Identified 1866-1899
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1866 + Bru Poupée
de Mode, Doll of Fashion or Lady Fashion doll, 11-28"
tall, bisque swivel shoulder plate head, kid leather, some gutta percha (rubber) jointed lady body, wig is
human or mohair, can have painted or paperweight eyes, pierced
ears, closed slight smiling mouth, some dolls are marked with a size
number or a letter marking.
Doll
shown is 16” tall, very rare smiling Bru, marked: letter E
on head and E on shoulder plate. |
1866 Bru Poupée
de Mode, 16" |
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1879 + Bru Bébé Brevete´, Brevete = a marking that is a registered
patent, Child doll, 11-28" tall, bisque socket
head, kid leather body, bisque lower arms, skin wig, paperweight eyes,
painted upper & lower lashes, feathered brows, pierced
ears, closed mouth with space between lips, usually head
marked with only a size number, body stamped: Bébé
Brevete´ SGDG Paris.
Bru Brevete Bébé shown is marked 0 size number. |
1879
Bru Bébé Brevete 15"
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 1879
+ Bru Circle Dot
Bébé, 11-28" tall, bisque socket head, kid gusseted
body with bisque lower arms but not jointed at the elbows,
paperweight eyes, feathered brows, pierced ears, mohair wig,
closed mouth with white space between lips, usually marked on
head with a dot in a circle or crescent over a dot.
Came as both white or black dolls.
Doll shown is 21" tall,
bisque swivel head on kid leather lined bisque shoulder plate and
forearms, kid leather body, paperweight eyes, open/closed mouth with
molded teeth, accented nostrils and eye corners, dimpled chin,
pierced ears, human hair wig.
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1879 Bru Circle Dot
Bébé, 21"
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1879
+ Bru Bébé Jne, 11-36"
tall, bisque socket head, kid body, kid over wood upper arms,
hinged elbows, bisque lower arms, some have wooden legs,
paperweight eyes with long lashes, pierced ears, closed mouth
with white space between lips, usually marked on head:
Bru Jne + size number and stamped on body: Bébé
Bru and BTE SGDG.
Doll shown is a size number 8
and is 21 1/2" tall.
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1879 Bru Bébé Jne,
21 1/2"
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ca. 1876-1929 Bru Bébé Teteur
(Child or Baby Nursing Doll), 13 or 16" tall, bisque
socket head, jointed kid leather or wood composition body, paperweight eyes,
open nursing mouth with mechanism in head to take up liquids
when key is turned, usually marked: Bru Jne N. T.
Doll shown is 13" tall is
dated to ca. 1878-1899 and is appropriately dressed.
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1876 Bru Bébé Teteur,
13"
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 ca.
1889-1899 Bru Bébé Jne R, 11 - 36" tall, bisque
socket head, paperweight eyes, painted lashes, thick feathered
brows, pierced ears, mohair wig, jointed wood and composition
body, jointed wrists, pull-string crier mechanism, open or closed mouth
with white space between lips (but no tongue), head marked: Bru Jne R
with a size number, stamped
on body: Bébé Bru.
Doll shown is marked size
number 2, is 13" tall, and has blue paperweight eyes,
closed mouth with space between her lips and has jointed
wrists.
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1889 Bru Bébé Jne R,
13"
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