Bébe Rose Kisses
Bébe Rose Blowing Kisses, c.1920 by Roullet & Decamps, Paris.
This rare and charming musical automaton has an interesting story. It is a 100 year old survivor in completely original condition due to its return to the workshop shortly after being sold (see details below). With bisque head, open mouth, blue glass eyes, real hair wig, composition hands and original pink silk costume trimmed with lace. She sits in the centre of fabric-covered papier-mache pink rose, the clockwork motor plays a popular air from La Traviata (Parigi, o Cara) and causes the doll to slowly rise up, before throwing kisses with her hands before shyly dropping back into the Rose . This Bébe Rose is entirely original with no replaced parts. The leaves of the Rose are a fine pink linen with green leaves. ht. open 10 in., with ornate brass key. Some fading, with signs of wear and handling to the foliage commensurate with age and provenance, see below.
The Bébe Rose comes with an interesting label found tucked inside the automaton. It is a return label from the famous 19th century department store ‘Au Louvre’ to Monsieur Decamps. We purchased the broken automaton in 2022 from the estate of Madame Cosette Decamps, the last relative of the famous Automata maker family. It was found in the store room of the Roullet & Decamps workshops. Probably they supplied a new Bébe Rose to replace this one for their prestigious customer rather than repair it, and then consigned this poor Bébe to the store for nearly 100 years. Now this tragic Violleta blows kisses again!
A full mechanical restoration has been carried out in our workshop and the Bebe Rose is guaranteed in working order for two years (UK only). Please note the video shows her on a brass turntable which is not included.
Price: £2,950 including delivery UK/USA