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.

Monday, January 30, 2023

Another Coquette in a Corset

This lissome lass wears a big blue flower in her blond tresses, accessorizing the blue corset cinching her hour-glass waist. She is part of a series of curvy cuties in corsets by the German firm of Schafer and Vater. In addition to the black stockings so typical of Schafer, the under-dressed damsels in this series have blue flowers adorning flowing blond tresses, camisoles that expose softly rounded shoulders or ample cleavage, white bloomers, and orange ankle boots. Of excellent sharp bisque, this lovely lady is 3 inches tall. 


Although she is unmarked, there is no mistaking what I call the standard Schafer "party girl" face, with incised upper lids, smiling parted bee stung lips, and a laughing expression that suggests that she has partaken of one too many flutes of champagne.