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.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Pin Up

Her

This swan-diving sea siren is a vintage brass and enamel pin. It closes with an early version of the modern round safety catch, introduced in 1930. This would coincide with the style of her swimwear; the belt and longer legs extending past the top of the thigh are typical of 1930s bathing suits. This brass bathing beauty's sleek curves echo the Streamline Moderne style that emerged from Art Deco design in the 1930s, with its emphasis on clean curving aerodynamic lines that symbolized modernity and progress.


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