No. 01

Zopile (H Bebe)

French Antique Reproduction

Details

Artist

Elisabeth Snels (Canada, 1931-2015)

Original

Aristide Halopeau (Paris), the 'H' bebe, 1880s

Mold

Virginia LaVorgna 4H 'Honore'

Made

Early 1990s

Height

52 cm

Shown at

D.A.G International Competition

About this doll

'Zopile' is the work of the Canadian doll artist Elisabeth Snels. A classic ivory dress, hand-made roses and a feathered bonnet come together in a look of timeless elegance. Made in the early 1990s, the doll was entered in the Doll Artisan Guild (D.A.G) international competition and exhibited alongside the work of artists from around the world.

The face reproduces the rarest of all French antique bebes, the 'H' bebe of Halopeau. The original was made in a single model and in very small numbers, and today changes hands at auction for tens of thousands of dollars; the artist brought it back to life from the reproduction mold 'Honore' and named her Zopile.

Background

Aristide Marcellin Halopeau took over the old Paris doll firm of Eugene Barrois around 1877-78 and introduced his only model, the 'H' bebe, around 1882. The back of the head carries nothing but a size number and the letter H, such as '2 H' or '3 H'. The pressed-bisque head has spiral-threaded paperweight glass eyes, a closed mouth with a slight space between the lips, pierced ears, plump cheeks and a pointed nose.

Unable to compete with the larger Paris firms, the company did not last long (sources give its closing as 1889 or January 1899), and so few dolls were made that the H bebe is ranked with Bru and Thuillier (A.T.) among the three great French bebes. Originals of 21-22 inches have sold at Theriault's for 44,000 dollars; in this collection the face can be met in this doll.

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