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, January 1, 2015

Two New Year Babes

These two nubile nudes are by the German firm of Gebruder Heubach.   Although best known among collectors for its bisque figurines and dolls of charming character children, Heubach also created a wide variety of china and bisque figurines, often with a hint of art deco.  Its bathing belles and nudes are realistically modeled and beautifully decorated, but are also fairly hard to find.  Both of these lounging lasses are 7 inches long.


Another reason these Heubach bathers and nudes are often overlooked by collectors is that the figurines typically do not carry the company's mark, but are marked only with an incised number and a green "Made in Germany" inside a circle.  Both of these bare belles carry the circle mark, and the one on her side is incised with a partial number that appears to be "95/3."


The Heubach bathing beauties have a unique look, with rather square faces, narrow eyes, and short sleek bobbed hair.  Unlike the Heubach children, who are often portrayed as smiling or laughing, the ladies have rather enigmatic, introspective expressions.


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