This sweet, tiny poupee spoke to me at a doll show, so I had to own her. She stands only 10 1/2″ (26.5 cm) tall.

At first glance, I thought that her fine cotton dress was old/original. But the lady who was selling her told me that a friend of hers made the dress. It is a beautiful reproduction and was both machine and hand sewn. One day, though, I plan on changing all the ribbons to BLUE.

When I bought her I didn’t know, but later learned from a respected Jumeau collector, that she was in fact made by the French doll maker, Jumeau. She is marked on the back of her head “3/0” and Jumeau poupees were usually marked like this, with only a size number.

What a face! Her big blue eyes, set in such pale bisque, drew me in. Her painting is perfect, from her precise multi-stroke brows and lashes to her tiny, sweet mouth, and her deeply blushed cheeks.

If you were ever unsure about what paperweight eyes are, here’s a perfect example. When they are made, a deep bit of clear glass is added over the iris which acts like a magnifier, giving her eyes the effect of a paperweight. Her ears are pierced through the lobes and she needs earrings.

Many doll eyes have threaded irises, but these early eyes have no lines. They are a flat pale blue. In this photo, you can also see that she has two tiny black spots on her nose and one on her forehead. Since they can only been seen close up, they don’t bother me.

Her head and separate shoulder plate are bisque. The rest of her French poupee body is kid and is in pretty good shape for 140+ years old. Her chemise is sewn together at the shoulder seams, so I chose not to remove it.

I believe that all of her underclothes are new, except for her panties. Her machine sewn slips are stiff, so they were probably starched.

She wears two slips. Both have drawstring waists. Her leather shoes and cotton socks are new.

Her long chemise is softer than the slips. Her panties fit a bit tightly around her legs, so I don’t think they were made for her.

I love the stitch decoration on the bands on her panties. I could do that.

She wears a tiny reproduction chatelaine. Her fingers are individually stitched. I can’t imagine how they were turned so perfectly after they were sewn.

Over her cork pate and mohair wig, she wears a felt hat. The hat is trimmed with velvet flowers and silk ribbon. It is unlined.

Since she is so well dressed, I’m not in a hurry to make her a new costume. When I do, I think that I’ll make her a knee-length, princess style dress, more fitting for a younger lady. But in the mean time, about those pink ribbons…