Becassine French Fabric Doll

Becassine is considered to be the first female protagonist in comics. The Breton housemaid character was created by Jacqueline Rivière and Joseph Pinchon, originally as filler material for the magazine La Semaine de Suzette, and debuted in 1905. Becassine was an instant hit, generating various items of merchandise, including a range of collectable dolls. Here is a Becassine from the 1950s. She wears the outfit made famous in the comic strips, which was based on that of a Breton housemaid, it includes a white peasant cap, a green dress trimmed with black, a red gingham petticoat, white pantaloons trimmed with narrow lace and red striped yarn-wrapped stockings. Her shoes (or boots?) are brown felt and she has a white apron and carries a red gingham bundle and a red umbrella with a deep yellow duck-headed handle. There is a label sewn to her apron saying ‘Becassine’ and ‘Minerve’ alongside which is a small illustration of Becassine herself. The doll is stockinette, with a round fabric nose and round surprised eyes with eyebrows above; curiously she has no mouth – which is faithful to the illustrations and adds to that perplexed expression! Becassine would make a great little shelf-sitter or be a quirky addition to any doll collection.