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, July 31, 2013

Another China Charmer by Gebruder Heubach

 

This bobbed-hair bathing beauty is by Gebruder Heubach.  Of excellent china and beautifully modeled, this 5 inch long nude is incised underneath with "11899" and stamped with "Made in Germany" in a circle in green.  The circle mark is identical to another Heubach bare belle pictured earlier on my blog   That lithe lass is incised "11896" (Heubach used a 10000 and 11000 number series for many of its nudes and bathing beauties).  Like her seated sister, this slender siren has her carmel-colored hair molded in a very short, severe style, full well-shaped coral lips, a very pale complexion softly shaded with faint blushing, and a slim adolescent physique. 

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