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.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Nodding Acquaintances

These two rather mature beach boys truly are nodding acquaintances, as their bisque heads bob up and down.  They seem to be sizing each other up rather skeptically.  Maybe they just realized they have inadvertently exchanged beach robes.  They have delightfully detailed character faces and their stocky bodies and oversized hands and feet are well modeled.  The blues and reds of their beach wear were cold painted, but the rest of the decoration is fired and of excellent quality.  Each is 7 inches tall.  The old boy in blue stripes is incised on the back edge of his head and robe "9273," and his companion is similarly marked "9274."  


A friend referred to them as the "Bobb-sey twins."  Wish I had thought of that one!

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