Doll:French Fashion Doll / The Smiler

This doll, made by the Bru Jne & Cie firm (founded in 1866), represents one of the first French fashion-doll manufacturers in Paris. Collectors and doll historians consider Bru dolls especially beautiful and exceptionally well made. Dating to approximately 1870, this doll is an example of the Smiler, also known as Mona Lisa or Princess Eugenie. Smilers are identified by their serene expressions and slightly upturned mouths reminiscent of the "Mona Lisa Smile." For many years, the Smiler's origins were a mystery to doll collectors and experts, many of whom attributed her to Jumeau, another prominent French doll maker. In the latter part of the 20th century, however, noted fashion doll historian Francois Theimer located the patent for the original Smiler and proved her to be a Bru product.