Bella Donna - French Doll

( Article orginally published December 1960 )

Dolls are a never ending source of interest to children and collectors, and while they cannot return our love they do give much pleasure, historical information and the joy of possession. Some have come down to us in pristine condition because an adult, for some reason or another, has found them too beautiful to let small hands desecrate them with love. Having come through one generation they are then usually handed down from one generation to another in excellent condition until they are willed to a museum or sold for reasons of necessity.

Much has been done in the past twenty-five years to separate fact from fiction in regard to dolls and toys, but there is still a long way to go. The serious minded doll collector is always looking for information about dolls and accessories. If able to travel, European museums, -libraries and antiques shops are an excellent source for much desired information. The stay at homes have doll clubs, books and writing to other collectors. Antique hunting and museum browsing nearly always produce some small bit of information.

Two early French writers on dolls and toys were M. Leo Claretie (Les Jouets Historie-Fabrication 1894) and VI. de Allemagne (Musie Retrospectif de la classe 100 Jouets, 1900). Both of these books contain much information on dolls and toys and if translated into English would bring as much pleasure and delight to all collectors as did the German translation of Van Boehms book.

Most collectors are anxious to have a few French creation in their collection. Jumeau and Brue, to name two of the more famouse, are usually sought after. Before Jumeau, a great many French dolls were made in Germany for the French trade. They were imported and then the finishing and the unmistakable touch in French clothing were put on them. Such a doll Bella Donna could easily be. While no authenticating French stamp is upon her body or porcelain head, she was purchased in Paris, outfitted there and the following account is just a small tribute to this French beauty.

When she left Paris in 1872, she was brought to Boston to be won at the Homeopathic Hospital Fair held in Boston's famous old Music Hall on Hamilton Place. She graced the home of her two owners, sisters, on Beacon Hill, where she became a show doll in a beautiful case to their many small friends.

Her head and bust are of the finest bisque, delicate and skin-like in texture, beautifully tinted and very well modeled. She has lovely abundant blonde hair capable of being dressed in many ways. Her blue blown glass eyes have a very lifelike quality to them. Her body is of the finest French white kid.

She possesses a "Trousseau" fit for a queen, and is one of the loveliest dolls known of the 1872 period. Her Saratoga trunk is a very interesting documentary on the way the well dressed lady of the period traveled because as the lady traveled, so traveled the doll in minature. Her outfit consists of many dresses for both summer and winter, with several evening dresses. Organdy, silk, poplin and linen are the materials used in this doll's wardrobe. As the 1870's was in throes of the bustle period, most of her wardrobe is in the polonnaise manner with intricate tapes which pull the surplus material into the desired bouffant effect from the waist down and gives the correct fashion plate picture.

A few of the other treasures are two parasols with ivory handles, a traveling wicker lunch basket, decorated box containing matching ribbons for her gowns, shoes and high boots for every costume, medical box containing twenty-two tiny bottles filled with all the medications possibly needed in pill form, properly labeled just as her mistress might carry. Her trunk also contains a hat tray in which are nestled several French chapeaus. A glove box with real kid gloves and her own glove stretcher. There is personal writing and note paper with her own name on it, personal greeting cards in a lovely mother-of-pearl case, a set of dominoes and playing cards, toilet articles such as tooth brush, powder, soap, brush and comb in a separate case, with shoe horn and button hook included.

Her jewel case contains a beautiful tiara of silver gilt with pink stones, watch and chain, earrings and fancy small pins. She has several fans of silk and feathers with ivory handles, plus many real lace and linen handkerchiefs. A solid gold finger ring with chain and clasp to hold her handkerchief in safety. Miniature knitting basket with tiny needles and a half finished piece of work shows that her fingers were never idle. She possesses many nightgowns, petticoats and drawers, all tucked and trimmed with hamburg edging and lace and each marked with stencil in indelible ink and surrounded by a decorative scroll with her name "Bella Donna."

She is pictured in a baby blue silk low-cut evening gown with a tight fitting basque, the skirt ornamented with tiny artificial rosebuds and leaves, and a long sweeping train. This is just one account of an old doll, but these are the dolls that send collectors to haunt antique shops and auctions in the hopes that one more doll of a far away period will again see the light of day and grace the collection that needs just one more doll.