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.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

She's My Cup of Tea!

As dainty and delicate as her tiny teacup and saucer, this extraordinarily lovely lady is a fashion figurine from Galluba and Hofmann.   


A close up of her elegant and exquisite face and hands.  She retains her original lush mohair wig.


This marvelous maiden is eight inches tall.  She has long lost her outfit to time, but still sits in her original wooden chair with its velvet upholstery and ormolu decoration.  Although she is unmarked, her chair is stamped underneath with the Galluba mark.


If this bisque belle looks familiar, it may be because I previously posted this 1983 advertisement for Nina Ricci. . . .


which features this trio of terrific Galluba and Hofmann fashion figures.  


Here are my three ladies.  All have long lost their original gowns, but have managed to preserve their mohair wigs.  I wonder what sort of elaborate outfit the literary lady reading the newspaper once wore to match her magnificent millinery!


Here's how they appeared in the Galluba catalogue.  Note the ormolu decorations on the Empire-style furniture.  Galluba clearly lavished as much care in costuming its bisque belles as it did in creating them!


And, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of an English collector, the following are photographs of the famous three from the Ricci advertisement.  Her husband had purchased them from the estate of the fashion photographer who photographed the ad.





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