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, March 28, 2024

Mystery Miss

The maker of this lovely lady is so far unknown. Similar luscious lasses have appeared on this blog, and while they share a family resemblance, all are unmarked. They are all of fine bisque with exceptionally delicate and graceful hands and wear pink painted slippers with molded, but in some cases undecorated, single straps. Although I have seen femmes by this mystery firm advertised in various antiques venues as by Galluba and Hofmann, these figures have much more realistically proportioned bodies than Galluba's idealized ladies and the facial painting is far less detailed, lacking Galluba's trademark intaglio blue eyes with deep pupils highlighted with a dot of white, typically outlined in black, with red upper lid lines. She is 3.25 inches high. 



 

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