Bawdy Bisques and Naughty Novelties: Indische Tänzerin

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, March 14, 2019

Indische Tänzerin

My last post featured a flapper bathing belle by Hertwig and Company of Germany, accompanied by her photograph in that company's catalogue. This post deals with a more exotic offering by that same company. Hertwig may be better known among collectors for its rather common and simply modeled precolored bisque bathing beauties and all-bisque dolls, but the company also created extraordinarily fine figurines, often in the art deco style. This decadent dancer is called "Indische Tänzerin" (Indian Dancer) in the company's catalogue, but her colorful and revealing costume is pure Western fantasy. Of excellent china, she is 9 inches tall and incised underneath "5985."