Snake Charmer

 He's a cold-hearted snake 

Look into his eyes 

Oh oh oh 

He's been tellin' lies 

He's a lover boy at play 

He don't play by the rules 

Oh oh oh 

Girl don't play the fool--no

Paula Abdul and Elliot Wolfe, 1989

This slinky serpent is either charming, or is being charmed by, the lithe and lovely lady curled up on his coils.  A very unusual creation by Galluba and Hofmann, this 4.25 inch tall  and 4.5 inch wide china figurine is stamped underneath in green with the company's intertwined “G” and “H” inside a crowned shield and incised “40.”  The encircling snake forms a shallow dish, perhaps for holding powder or trinkets (or maybe an apple?).

As they stare into each other's eyes, one wonders who is hypnotizing whom.

A back view of the this lissome lass and her elongated lover.

A Little More Than a Glimpse. . . .

In olden days, a glimpse of stocking

Was looked on as something shocking.

But now, God knows,

Anything goes.

                                              Cole Porter, 1934

In the days of long skirts and multiple petticoats, the image of a shapely female leg with a well-turned ankle often appeared in naughty novelties, such as these lovely lower limbs.

This risqué bisque is a naughty nipper, a novelty bottle that once held a "nip" of alcohol and was often given away by saloons, liquor stores, or at carnivals as gifts or prizes.  The German company Schafer and Vater is know for its comic or bawdy bottles.  Although marked only with a blurred digit, this 6.5 inch tall bottle resembles many of this company's products, especially its underdressed lasses showing off the their lithe legs in molded stockings.

This 5.75 inch tall leg is a bit of a mystery.  Of bisque, it is hollow and open at the top, as well as at the heel, so it could not have served as a bottle.  It is also clad in a stocking of real fabric and the shoe is covered in silk, further suggesting that this limb was not meant to hold liquid.  It cannot stand by itself, so I added the base, with a rod that fits up into the molded hole in the heel.  Perhaps it was meant to be a comic candy container and once had a bag of small sweet treats.  Or, with a base,  maybe it was a counter display to show off a brand of stocking?

2017 Doll Show

My page for the Austin Doll Collectors Society's upcoming October 14, 2017, doll show has been updated (including the show's new location and downloadable dealer contracts).  Hope to see some of you there!