Happy Boxing Day!

The day after Christmas is celebrated in the United Kingdom as Boxing Day.  It doesn't involve fisticuffs, but traditionally was a day when servants and service providers received a Christmas box or other gift or gratuity.  This gracious lady seated upon a silk-covered box would be a welcome gift for any collector.  Her bisque shoulder head, arms, and lower limbs are from the German maker Galluba and Hofmann.  She is on a wrapped armature body and is 10.25 inches tall.  Her bench box is wood, lined with cream paper, and covered in silk.  The tufted upholstery even has tiny buttons.  

Her lovely face has what I call the "smokey eye" variation.  Instead of the typical Galluba blue eyes with intaglio pupils highlighted with a dot of white and red upper lid lines, the entire intaglio eye is black and the eyes shaded with a sultry gray shadow.  Her smiling lips expose tiny molded teeth.

Her clothing is securely sewn and glued in place, but you can seen the unusual holes for attaching the arms and shoulder plate that seems to be unique to Galluba.  In this case, however, the arms are attached to the underlying armature and not directly to the shoulder plate.

This is not a break, as the edge is finished and you can see the corresponding holes around the edge of the shoulder.  This is a variation of the Galluba shoulder heads that allowed the arm to be attached in a different position.

Under the mesh pink stockings you can see that the lower legs have molded ribbed blue socks.  One is faintly incised "Germany" at the knee.  The shoes are also molded, but have been covered with narrow ribbon and given paper soles. 

Searching on the Internet, I found two other examples of similar candy boxes featuring a Galluba fashion lady dressed in tiers of lace and ribbon and seated on a silk-tufted candy box posing as a bench or ottoman.  This example is from Pinterest, but had no identifying information.

Another beautiful box from Dolls and Lace.  Note this belle on a box has a wig of the same blond floss as on my example.  Most significantly, she has her original label under her ottoman, stating "Alareine de Fleurs/J Daccard/Limoges/06 Rue de Clocher." J. Daccord was a confiserie (confectionary) store that operated in Limoges, France from the early 1900s as late as the 1960s.  And this box is a confection indeed and as sweet a treat as any candy it may have once held.  I suspect that Daccord or perhaps some French company bought the bisque shoulder heads and limbs from Galluba and transformed them into these elaborate chocolate boxes.

New Posting on my Maneki Neko Page!

I have updated my Maneki Neko page with a video of a rare banko ware nodding neko, showing him sagely shaking his head.

All Tied Up in a Bow

In this season of gift wrap and ribbon, this beautiful belle adorned a big blue bow is most timely.  By Galluba and Hofmann, she is an unusual molded hair version of a wigged model.  Earlier this blog featured a series of bisque half dolls by Galluba with either wigs or molded blue hair bows and this factory appears to have done the same for some of its bathing belles.  Of excellent bisque, this beribboned beauty is 2.25 inches high and 3.25 inches long.  Underneath she is incised with a "400" number obscured by an air hole.

A close up of her face shows the typical Galluba features, including intaglio eyes with white highlights.

Here she poses with a larger wigged version.

This page from a Galluba catalog appears to feature lovely lasses with molded hair ornaments in the lower right corner.

Midnight at the Oasis. . . .

Send your camel to bed

Shadows painting our faces

Traces of romance in our heads

Heaven's holding a half-moon

Shining just for us

Let's slip off to a sand dune, real soon

And kick up a little dust

1973, written by David Nichtern, sung by Maria Muldaur

Completing the theme of erotic bronzes from fin de siècle Austria is this Middle Eastern maiden posing provocatively under a palm tree.  The palm fronds conceal a lightbulb and this lovely lamp is part of a series featuring various Arabic-inspired scenes under a sheltering palm.  Of cold painted bronze, it is unmarked, but is no doubt from one of the many Austrian foundries that produced finely sculpted and cast bronzes in the late 1800s through the 1930s.  A significant number of these bronzes engaged in Orientalism, with fanciful depictions of a mysterious, seductive, and decadent Middle East.  The lamp is 11 inches tall.

A close up of the barely-robed water bearer.  The cold painted patina is susceptible to wear, especially at any protruding edges, revealing glimpses of the gleaming bronze underneath

"Mirror, mirror, in my hand. . . ."

. . . .who is the fairest in the land?"  As posted previously on this blog, there was a fad for artistic smoking paraphernalia in the early 1900s, especially ashtrays of bronze and stone.  This kneeling miss admiring both herself and her necklace in her hand mirror is yet another example.  Although this sculpture is signed only "Austria"on the back of the cushion, I attribute this bronze belle to Bruno Zach (1891–1945), a Ukrainian artist who studied sculpture in Vienna and became renown for his bronze sculptures, many of an erotic nature. The woman's extreme oval, almost egg-shaped, head with delicate sharp features and brushed-back hair is very typical of Zach's early ladies. The use of colored patina, such as the silvering on her stockings and the rose tint on her beads, is also found on many Zach pieces.  Beginning in the mid-19th century, Vienna was the home of many foundries and ateliers producing finely crafted bronzes to adorn the homes and offices of those wishing to subtly display their taste and wealth.  She is 4 inches high and her ashtray base of onyx is 7 inches long.

This close up shows the wonderful details of this diminutive sculpture and the subtle use of patina.

What a dish!

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, "dish" can refer to "a more or less concave vessel from which food is served" or "an attractive or sexy person." And this bronze beauty is a dish in all senses of the word!  Of dark bronze and creamy onyx, this dishy dame is eight inches tall.  She is beautifully sculpted and cast, from her smiling face to the clinging top that has slipped down to bare one breast. . . . 

. . . . to her ruffled undergarments and dainty bare feet.

Her upper torso lifts off, revealing that her tiered stony skirt is composed of three translucent nested onyx dishes (originally, there were four, but one has dish has disappeared over the decades).  The dishes could have been used for nuts or other nibbles, but I suspect they are more likely a set of fancy ashtrays, as there was a fad for artistic stone and bronze smoking paraphernalia in the early 1900s.

She is signed "Charles Austria."  Beginning in the mid-19th century, Vienna became the center of many foundries and ateliers producing finely crafted artistic bronzes to adorn the homes of those wishing to subtly display their taste and wealth.  I have not been able to find any information regarding "Charles," but the name could refer to the sculptor, the foundry, or perhaps even an exclusive store offering such expensive specialties.

We'll Meet Again. . . .

We'll meet again

Don't know where

Don't know when

But I know we'll meet again some sunny day

Keep smiling through

Just like you always do

'Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away

1939, Ross Parker and Hughie Charles

When I recently came across this lovely laughing lass, I thought she looked familiar.  By Galluba and Hofmann, she has an exceptionally beautiful face and animated expression.  Her mohair wig is original and she is as large as she is lovely at 6 inches long and 2.75 inches high.  Underneath she is incised "424 V.V."

A close up of her captivating face.  There is even a top row of tiny molded teeth.  Certainly this is not a face to be easily forgotten!

In fact, she has appeared earlier on this blog, at least in proxy.  Here she is pictured in a 1990 Theriault's auction catalog, with the same unusual woven headband.  Now I need to find that handsome hunk of a beach boy she is flirting with. . . .   

Smokin' Hot, Part II

Previously, this blog featured a lovely Edwardian lady who appeared to be preparing to puff a cigarette, a suggestive and shocking habit for a woman of the 1910s.  This posts features her male companion, a dandy garbed in Edwardian elegance from his top hat to his slender shoes.  He actually has a hole between his lips for a small novelty toy cigarette; I did dare to light it, but was unable to capture any of the resulting small smoke rings with my camera. There is also a hole through his left hand, suggesting that he once may have held a slender walking stick.  Like his female counterpart, this gentlemen is of sharp white bisque and is superbly modeled.  He is 9 inches tall and unmarked.  An identical figurine appeared in Theriault's 2001 auction of the archives of the former Hertwig and Company showroom.

A close up of his handsome face demonstrates the fine molded details.

Smokin' Hot

Like painting one's face or showing one's ankles, smoking was something a proper Victorian woman would never consider doing, at least not in public. The image of a woman smoking, with all its Freudian suggestiveness, was sometimes exploited by the ribald or rebellious, but in the early 1900s, cigarette smoking by women was still largely taboo. During World War I, as many women moved into roles formerly reserved for men, from organizing relief to working in factories or offices, some also assumed male habits, such as lighting up an occasional cigarette. During the early 1920s, smoking was still seen as scandoulous, something those frivolous flappers did while slipping into speakeasies or engaging in petting parties.  However, by the late 1920s that tobacco companies began to actively court female consumers. In 1928, the American Tobacco Company began its "Reach for a Lucky" campaign, seeking to persuade women that reaching for a Lucky Strike cigarette instead of a sweet would help maintain their "graceful, modern form." The following year, during the Easter Sunday parade in New York City, public relations executive Edward Bernays staged a small group of fashionable young women smoking their "torches of freedom" as they strolled along. Still, when this fashionable bisque beauty was created in the late 1910s, a woman indulging in tobacco was considered more naughty than normal. Her charming chateau, rather understated when compared to the sweeping plumed and flowered hats of the earlier Edwardian years, and her form-fitting draped jacket with its peplum and ankle-length skirt suggest she dates from around 1917 through 1919.   Her left hand is cupped in front of her face, as if holding an invisible cigarette, and she leans forward as if accepting a light.  I wondered if she once might have held one of those miniature novelty cigarettes that when lit and blown out, continues to smolder and gives the impression of blowing smoke rings. I actually came upon a packet of these miniature smokes and while a cigarette did fit nicely in her hand, I was reluctant to light it out of concern that it might stain her delicate white fingers. Of beautiful sharp bisque and superbly sculpted, she is 6.5 inches tall and incised under her seat "8194." In 2001, Theriault's held an auction of the archives of the former Hertwig and Company showroom, which included an identical figurine.

Playing with her Pussy. . . cat

Striking a playful pose with a feline friend, this 5-inch long bisque bathing beauty is part of a scarce series by Galluba and Hofmann of lovely ladies lounging with their pets.  Her mohair wig is a replacement, but she retains the remains of her silk net bathing suit with shredded faded red bows at neckline and on back.  There are no visible marks.  

 The cute kitten in the blue bow was molded separately and added to his mischievous mistress during the greenware stage.  This allowed Galluba to use its existing bathing beauty models and expand its offerings by simply adding an assortment of animal companions.  The additions included two different types of cats, a spaniel, a French bulldog, and even a very rare devilish imp.  Here is the same model, sans pussycat, who appeared earlier in this blog.  

A Bee in Her Bonnet -- Well, Not a Bee and a Bit Farther South

This belle in a bustle by the German firm of Carl Thieme has appeared previously on this blog, but recently I came across what may be the source of inspiration for this gaudily-gowned gal tying her garter.

This early French fashion print shows a "Femme en Robe à la Polonaise."  This style, with a fitted bodice and the back of the skirt drawn up into swags, was popular in the 1770s and 1780s.  Thieme certainly seems to have based his belle on this early print, substituting a footstool for the stone and a tiled floor for the grassy lawn.  As these prints were made to appeal to wealthy women of fashion, it is unlikely that this lady's pose was originally meant to titillate.  It was instead a creative way to show the style of shoes and stockings worn to accessorize this elaborate outfit.  However, when Thieme  translated the paper print into porcelain in the late 1800s, the intent was certainly to entice. . . .   

. . . . especially as the bustle was hinged to lift up and reveal both the lady's blushing bare buttocks and a rather bold brown beetle.

Otra Mujer de Misterio

Spain appears to be the land of mujeres misteriosas.  This unusual and sultry señorita recently arrived from that country.  Of a hollow papier mache material this exotic beauty is 17 inches tall,  Her size and the fact that her arms are on adjustable wires (which would have allowed her to be more easily dressed and posed) indicate that she may have been intended as a countertop mannequin.  Those arms are bisque, tinted brown, and had I not seen earlier the same model with the identical style of bisque arms, I would have thought they were replacements.  

The other example was fair complexioned with pink bisque arms and looking closely at her face and hairline, it does appears she may have started out with a lighter skin tone.  

However, her original wig certainly indicates she was created to be an olive-skinned Spanish beauty.

She is superbly sculpted, both back and front, from her shapely legs to her flirtatious face.

There is a single tantalizing clue to this baffling beauty's origins.  On the back of her base are the initials "M" and "R" intertwined in a circle, which would seem to indicate either her manufacturer or designer.  However, I have been unable to track down the name behind these initials.  

A Certain Charm Which is Likely to Captivate

Green and purple wigs and trouser skirts sound considerably worse than they look.  The Poiret version of the latter is a far more attractive garment than the skirt with the exaggerated slash, and under certain conditions it cannot be denied that the new colored wigs have a certain charm which is likely to captivate.  The general idea in the trade appears to be that these wigs will not be generally worn on the street, but that for evening wear they will have a decided vogue: worn with the right gowns, under the right light they show to considerable advantage.

Notions and Fancy Goods, April  1914

This papier mache miss has silver blue curls to match her silvery bathing suit, accessorized with a stiff skirt and headpiece trimmed with bits of teal feathers.  Her vivid coloring has survived for well over a century, although her feathers have molted a bit.

Although unmarked, this 10.5 inch tall bathing belle came with what were said to be the remains of her original box, with would indicate her birthplace was Germany.  Perhaps "Color RED" refers to her scarlet slippers.

The unusual color of her coiffure might give a clue to her age.   In 1914, the introduction of colored wigs created consternation.  The March 7, 1914, edition of the Australian newspaper, "The Advertiser," reported:

Has the fashion of colored wigs come, and come to stay? Yes, say the great coiffeurs; "at least, if it depends on us." There met (says the Paris correspondent of the London "Daily Telegraph") in epoch-making seance the "Fashions Committee of the Coiffeurs of Paris," and decided to let loose on Paris in balls, theatres, and fashionable cafes 400 "mannequins" with 400 colored wigs.

Published the same year, Colette's story, "A Hairdresser," features a hairdresser offering Colette a "pretty blue wig. . . .With two rows of little paste gems and a spray of paradise blue" to give her evening gown "a new look."  At the end of the story, the hairdresser brags that Berlin had ordered thirty of her colored wigs in "cabbage green, turnip yellow, Parma violet, and Prussian blue" for six to eight hundred francs apiece.

Let Me Entertain You. . . .

Let me make you smile

Let me do a few tricks

Some old and then some new tricks

I'm very versatile

And if you're real good

I'll make you feel good

I'd want your spirits to climb

So let me entertain you

We'll have a real good time,

Yes sir!

We'll have...

A real good time!

Gypsy, 1959, Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim

This immodest model by Carl Schneider looks like a showgirl in a burlesque show, languorously lifting away the straps of her elaborate, if exiguous, top.  As Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous American burlesque entertainer and "ecdysiast" who put the tease in striptease, once said, "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing slowly…very slowly."

The same model of half doll as pictured in the Schneider catalogue. My lady is 3.25 inches tall and incised "15547." The example in the catalog is denoted as "15545," which could be due to a difference in size or finish. This model came in several sizes and was also offered with a golden brassiere.

Smooth as Monumental Alabaster

Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow

And smooth as monumental alabaster.

Othello,  Act 5, Scene 2, William Shakespeare

This statuesque bathing beauty is sculpted out of alabaster.  Fine alabaster closely resembles white marble, but is a much softer stone, allowing it to be carved into detailed designs (however, the porous stone is soluble in water, making it unsuitable for fountains and outdoor decor).  Italy, where alabaster has been mined and carved for centuries, provided copious copies of ancient carvings or classical subjects for the Victorian home and to the growing population of middle class tourists taking in the sights on their own grand tours.  However, beginning in the late 1800s, Italian artists revitalized their industry by sculpting their own creations in the Orientalist, art nouveau, and art deco genres.  In the 1920s Italian alabaster lamps, both as ceiling fixtures and as softly-lit boudoir lamps, often incorporating a nude nymph or flirtatious flapper, became a popular decorative item.  Although unsigned, this alabaster bathing belle is undoubtedly of Italian birth, probably dating from the 1920s.  This sculpted seaside siren is 12.5 inches long and 9 inches high.            

Her thigh-length tank suit is etched with a floral design and a scarf covers her carved curls.  Alabaster is subject to dings and can break easily; at one point it looks like someone tried to repair a crack in the base with glue.  Oils, including from exploring fingers, smoke, and water can stain or discolor the stone, so cleaning alabaster is difficult.  Unless you want to incur the expense of a professional restorer, is best just to gently dust it thoroughly with a soft-bristle brush and buff it lightly with a microfiber cloth, letting it retain its well-earned patina.

Catting Around

This whimsical ink and watercolor illustration portrays two anthropomorphised pussycats in Edwardian bathing suits, a female feline serenely seated in a beach wicker chair, oblivious to an enthusiastic peeking tomcat who looks prepared to pounce!  The scene closely resembles this bisque beach belle and her beau  featured earlier on this blog.  This theme of a voluptuous bathing beauty in form-fitting beachwear seated in a hooded wicker chair while a male admirer peers around a corner was a popular image for postcards and other assorted souvenirs in the early 1900s.  The chair's high hood protected the sitter from the wind and sun, but apparently not males on the make.      

The piece is signed E. Döcker, Jr.  I have not been able to find out much about the artist other than he was a prolific illustrator of postcards in Austria in the early 1900s.  Most of his work consists sentimental scenes of country folk in traditional clothing, but he could paint in a wide variety of genres, including a stunning series of art nouveau nymphs.   Perhaps this pussycat pair were intended for a comic postcard to be sold at one of region's resorts or spas.   

Döcker certainly was a skilled illustrator and seems to have had a sense of humor as well.  He manages to portray some very human emotions in the expressions of these comic kitties.     

He was able to capture the essence of ordinary cats as well.  In my research I came across several examples of postcards with the following illustration by Döcker.  This puss has conquered a Krampus and is standing proudly with its trophy.  Krampus is the traditional "bad cop" to Saint Nicholas in Austria and other parts of Europe, a black hairy horned figure with a long lolling tongue and draped in rattling chains.  While Saint Nickolas carries a bag of toys and treats for good children, Krampus wields a bundle of birches for whipping the naughty ones and the basket on his back is for carrying off especially disobedient boys and girls.  I guess there must be something about bad boys, because Krampus became in his own way a perversely beloved character.  He was portrayed, often comically, on holiday postcards and Krampus dolls, decorations, and even candy containers could be found among jollier Christmas adornments.