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, March 21, 2012

Bathing Beauty of the Week


Ms. #466 strikes a coy pose as she prepares for a session of skinnydipping.  At one point this 7 inch tall bisque bathing beauty wore a swimsuit of silk net and ribbon, but she discarded it somewhere in the past.  She wisely kept her original brown mohair wig and, frankly, with a body like that, who needs a bathing suit?!  By Galluba and Hofmann, she is incised with blurred 400 number, followed by a letter.

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