I have been in the rare and antiquarian book business for over forty years; my family has been in the rare books business since 1876. Rare books are in my blood.
La Coquette
Paris: H. Rousseau, [1856]. Item #02698
An Elegant 19th Century Paper Doll With Multiple Gowns
[PAPER DOLLS]. La Coquette. Paris: H. Rousseau, n.d. [1856].
Hand-colored, double-sided lithographed French paper doll with twelve hand-colored lithographed gowns with matching hats including a magnificent wedding ensemble. Lithography by H. Jannin.
Housed in a truly remarkable facsimile of the original presentation box (8 1/2 x 5 3/4 inches; 216 x 147 mm.) with the original colored lithographed title laid-on.
Complete with a later slotted wooden disc to display the doll in its finery.
A superb mid-nineteenth-century Parisian paper doll ensemble, combining refined lithography with meticulous hand-coloring to present a miniature wardrobe of contemporary French fashion. Issued by H. Rousseau and lithographed by H. Jannin, La Coquette exemplifies the golden age of French paper dolls, when such productions served not merely as children’s amusements but as vehicles for disseminating current styles in dress and social ceremony. The twelve gowns - ranging from day and evening wear to an especially elaborate wedding costume - reflect mid-1850s silhouettes, textiles, and decorative motifs with remarkable fidelity.
The survival of the set complete, with all costumes present and richly colored on both sides, is exceptional. Paper dolls were inherently fragile, handled repeatedly and rarely preserved, making intact examples of this sophistication exceedingly scarce. The present example is further distinguished by its remarkable facsimile presentation box, closely replicating the original, with the original colored lithographed title laid on, allowing the ensemble to be displayed and understood as it would have been when first issued. The inclusion of a later slotted wooden display disc enhances exhibition possibilities without compromising the integrity of the paper elements.
We have been able to trace only one other recorded complete example, which appeared at Thériault’s Antique Doll Auctions, November 12, 2006, where it sold for €1,900 ($2,590). As such, La Coquette stands as an item of great rarity and charm, prized equally by collectors of dolls, fashion history, nineteenth-century lithography, and ephemeral printed objects - an object never meant to last, yet one that vividly preserves the elegance and aspirations of its moment.
Price: $4,500.00