Postcard Image

Postcard Image
As the Victorian era passed into the Edwardian and Roaring Twenties, a market developed for bisque and china bawdy novelties and figurines of women in revealing outfits. Although now most of these figurines seem more coy and cute than ribald and risque, in their time they symbolized the casting off of the perceived restraints of the Victorian era.

These little lovelies included bathing beauties, who came clad in swimsuits of real lace or in stylish painted beach wear, as well as mermaids, harem ladies, and nudies, who were meant to wear nothing more than an engaging smile. Also produced were flippers, innocent appearing figurines who reveal a bawdy secret when flipped over, and squirters, figurines that were meant to squirt water out of an appropriate orifice.

Most were manufactured in Germany from the late 1800s through the 1930s, often showing remarkable artistry and imagination, with Japan entering the market during World War I.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Bathing Beauty of the Week

 

This lissome lass appears to holding out her wine glass for Ms #534 of the preceding week to fill.  They certainly make a pretty pair, but are not quite twins.  Although they appear to share the same hairstylist and identical taste in shoes and stockings, and both stand against similar jasperware urns, each wears her own unique pink and yellow gown.  While Ms. #534 is garbed in a more conventional, if revealing, dress, this nubile nymph's ample curves are barely contained in her draped robe.  Of the same excellent bisque and workmanship, she is 6.5 inches high and is incised underneath "4411."  Although sometimes attributed to Schafer and Vater, I think these sisters are part of a series by another German maker.  More lovely ladies from this series will be pictured in the next few weeks.   

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