Marvelous Mata Hari

This luscious lady, barely glad in a gold bra top, has been dubbed "Mata Hari" by collectors, although there is very little resemblance between this ravishing redhead and the famed courtesan and failed spy.

Her reddish hair, sultry amber eyes surrounded by smoky gray shading, and the elongated graceful hands are all characteristics of her creator, the German firm of Fasold and Stauch.

As big as she is beautiful, at 5.25 inches high and 5 inches wide, she is of excellent china and incised  faintly incised "5905" on her lower back. 

The Belgium firm, Mundial, under the name Keralouve, produces several modern versions of this half doll harem lady, with a gold or silver bra, as well as with a parrot perched on her left hand, but frankly they are all are just crude copies of the wonderful original. The Mundial models are not marked as reproductions, but because they were taken from the mold of the authentic antique, they carry a faint impression of the mold number. Unfortunately, these knockoffs have found their way into flea markets, antiques shows, and online venues where they are often offered as old. Although very poorly painted and modeled, the modern reproductions are just good enough to fool a collector or dealer who has not had the opportunity to see the antique original.

 

Take my hand. . .

I'm a stranger in Paradise

All lost in a wonderland

A stranger in paradise

If I stand starry eyed,

That's a danger in Paradise

For mortals who stand beside

An angel like you

Kismet, 1953

The way these two starry-eyed, if under-clad, lovers look into each others' eyes, they are clearly in Paradise. This very scarce double half-doll is from the German company of Fasold and Stauch. This piece is 3.5 inches tall and wide and is incised "10217" on the back of the base. The fingers on the lovely lady's right hand have been repaired (the long graceful hands and slender fingers on Fasold's half-dolls and bathing beauties are unfortunately very susceptible to damage), but this piece is so rare and unusual (plus extraordinarily beautiful) that I chose to overlook the repairs. After all, with Hunky McStudmuffin there, who is looking at fingertips?

Trapped in Amber. . .

. . . which is certainly what any man might be if he gazed into smoky golden eyes such as these. This sultry siren is a half doll attributed to the German firm of Fasold and Stauch. A number of their luscious ladies have been featured on this blog in various forms, including nudes, bathing beauties, and half dolls. The elongated almond amber eyes shadowed by smoky grey shading and slender, gracefully gesturing hands are signatures of Fasold. Of excellent china and beautifully molded and decorated, this wholly beautiful half doll is 4 inches tall and incised with an obscured number on the back of her base.  

Pony Boy

Pony Boy, Pony Boy, won't you be my Tony Boy?

Don't say no. Here we go off across the plains.

Marry me, carry me right away with you.

Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, whoa! My Pony Boy.

Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, whooooooa! My Pony Boy

Bobby Heath and Charley O'Donnell, 1909

This Pierrot and his paramour are engaged in a little high-spirited horseplay. Of excellent china, they are  actually a powder dish. The flirtatious flapper is a half doll and her feathery skirt, which originally would have been a swansdown puff, rests in a shallow dish for holding powder (I have created a substitute for the missing puff).  Pierrot is 5 inches long and incised “6150” on his right hip. This playful pair appear ready to ride off into the sunset, perhaps taking the "bridal" path.

His elongated amber eyes are surrounded by grey shadowing, a technique typical of the German firm of Fasold and Stauch, renown for its unusual and stylish powder dishes and boxes.

Underneath, the piece carries its original paper label from The Neiman Marcus Company. Founded in 1907 by Herbert Marcus Sr., his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman and her husband, Abraham Lincoln Neiman, the first store offered high-end clothing and luxury goods, providing nouveau riche Texas oil barons and their families with new ways to flaunt their wealth. The company is still considered synonymous with luxury goods.

Powder Puff Pierrette

This roguish redhead is already for the masquerade ball in her form-fitting Pierrette costume that not only shows off her shapely legs, but manages to flash a bit of bosom under the wide ruffled collar. The collar forms a small shallow dish and her head is a separate piece, sewn to the original down powder puff, so that she appears to wear a marabou boa. Of excellent china and 6.25 inches tall, this coquettish clown is unmarked, but her auburn hair and large amber eyes with smoky grey shading are all characteristic of the German firm of Fasold and Stauch. The little dish would not hold much powder, so perhaps it was meant for blush or rouge?

 

Squeeze Me, Tease Me. . . .

She goes, squeeze me, come on and squeeze me

Come on and tease me like you do

I'm so in love with you

Squeeze Box, The Who  (1975)

This unusual powder dish features a red-haired flapper being courted by a concertina playing Pierrot.  Her skirt forms a round dish that would have held face powder and the puff would have no doubt been swansdown topped with a pair of shapely legs as a handle (in this case, the "puff" is a replica made of marabou and a wood dowel).  Of excellent china, these musical paramours are 6 inches wide and 4 inches tall.

Although unmarked, this piece can be attributed to the German firm of Fasold and Stauch, as both the Pierrot and his main squeeze have the company's signature elongated amber eyes surrounded by smoky gray eyeshadow.   The lovely lady's rather sultry expression and swooning pose suggests that she is getting tired of the musical overture and is ready to move on to the main act.