Bawdy Bisques and Naughty Novelties: Fly Girl

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, September 21, 2017

Fly Girl

This bathing belle appears ready to flee the fly that has alighted on her thigh. Of excellent china, the fly-shy flapper is 2.5 inches high and three inches long. The frisky fly is metal and has clear celluloid wings. This bather has been attributed to Fasold and Stauch.