In the Hood

A bisque bathing belle in her own wicker beach chair would have been a most appealing seaside souvenir. And none could have been more alluring this lissome lass in her hooded beach chair with its silken canopy. By Galluba and Hofmann, the bathing beauty herself is 4.5 inches. She wears her original mohair wig tied up a silk scarf. The form fitting tank suit is of a black knit material with a tiny red embroidered anchor at each thigh. This is not the typical bathing attire found on Galluba's bathers and one wonders whether it was the individual creation of a talented seamstress or if some jobber ordered ladies au naturel from Galluba and had them dressed in this delightful and detailed swimwear. Although she is not tied into her beachside seat, she fits it perfectly. The beach chair does appear to be a commercial creation, as underneath is carries a penciled inventory number "502/B." This belle and beach chair certainly would have been a marvelous memento of some high-end seaside resort.   

 

Basket (Chair) Case

This bashful bronze bathing belle peeks through the drapery of her hooded wicker beach chair. Such chairs were often rented to beach goers by the resort hotel or spa and the deluxe versions came with curtains that could be pulled down for further protection again the sun and wind or for just a bit of privacy.  All that can be seen of this demure damsel is her shyly smiling face and her slender feet clad in dainty bathing slippers.

But atop the dome of the chair's "wicker" hood is a little button. . . . Oooh, what does this button do?

It releases a latch, so that the front swings open, revealing that the lovely lass remembered to bring her bathing slippers, but forget to pack the rest of her swimwear. The 7.5 inch-tall mechanical bronze sculpture is softly patinated in several delicate shades. The curtains are a greenish gold and the drapery framing the top edge of the chair is a pale rose. The bare bather's hair, styled in a wavy chignon, and her bathing slippers, tied at the ankle, have a pinkish-gold patina, while her body is a soft gold. She sits on a reddish cushion with golden trim.

The back base of the chair is stamped "Austria" and incised "C. Thenn gesetzlich geschutzt." "C. Thenn" was one of the names used by the Austrian sculptor Carl Kauba. Born in Vienna in 1865, Kauba studied both at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and in Paris. His bronzes are renown for their intricate and realistic detail and the skilled application of multiple colors of patina. He is best known for his images of the American West (although there is some dispute whether he ever actually traveled to America or was simply inspired by the Wild West fantasies of German author Karl May) and his naughty novelty sculptures which went from innocent to improper by pressing a hidden button or lever. "Gesetzlich geschutzt," means that patent rights have been granted and registered for the design.