French Bisque 'Lady at the Piano' Plays to $20,500 in Florida

The 15-inch-high mechanical lady is attributed to Leopold Lambert, circa 1880, and was estimated at $12/18,000.

French Bisque 'Lady at the Piano' Plays to $20,500 in Florida

BOCA RATON, FLA. - Theriault's, the Annapolis, Md.-based antique doll auction house, traveled to Florida on February 22-23 where more than 100 attended the firm's auction of The French Lieutenant and His Bride, conducted by Theriault's president and head auctioneer Stuart Holbrook.

Offered were 239 diverse items. The bride (lot 6), a French bisque doll with La Patricienne body and original wedding gown for La Providence Boutique, sold for $6,500. The groom (lot 7) realized $4,250. Both were purchased by the same bidder.

A French pianist (lot 19) reached $20,500. A rare German bisque character by Kammer and Reinhardt (lot 14) in navy wool pea coat sold for $20,000. A rare French bisque bebe by Falck-Roussel (lot 40), with a red bow of his antique mariner's costume, garnered $10,500.

A little German bisque googlie 241 by Marseille (lot 207) realized $3,000; and a rare German 39-inch cloth clown by Steiff (lot 179) and a German flirty-eyed grey "Peter Bear" (lot 236), $6,000 and $2,000, respectively.

At Sunday's Discovery Day festivities, more than 300 items were auctioned.