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.  

A Pretty Patrician Pincushion Doll

This very elegant and lovely lady is by the German firm of Galluba and Hofmann, whose bevies of bathing belles populate this blog. But Galluba also created a series of aristocratic pincushion ladies, often endowed with towering coifs or large elaborate hats.  Of excellent china, she is 3.75 inches tall and incised "5434" on the back of her base.

This closeup reveals the typical Galluba perfect oval cameo face, long slender neck, and wide sloping shoulders.

 

Dancing Queen

You are the dancing queen

Young and sweet

Only seventeen

Dancing queen

Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah

Dancing Queen, 1976, ABBA

According to the caption on her base, she is the "Dancing Girl," rather than queen, but she certainly appears to be having the time of her life. Seven inches tall, this is a half or pincushion doll on her original base. The two pieces were clearly meant to go together (the half doll is incised on her base "19174" and under the base is the matching number "19175"). I don't know whether the extravagant dress is original, but it is old and beautifully made of sequined net trimmed in tiny seed beads; the flared skirt has fine wire around the hem to give it shape. Underneath she has a muslin half slip with lace trim similar to the factory made garments found on antique dolls. 

Clearly meant to be a maiden from the Middle East, she has a black mohair wig, an olive complexion, and is well-accessorized with a variety of molded bangles and baubles. Her face is beautifully painted.

Joining the two pieces is some sort of fibrous substance, perhaps wood, but both pieces have matching sew holes so I wonder whether there might have originally been a fabric pincushion between them. 

Madame Chair

After a detour via bronze, this post returns to the theme of bawdy bisque. This lissome lady appears to have forgotten her gavel, among other things. An unusual seated figure, she is by my favorite maker, A. W. Fr. Kister. As it typical of this company, everything is of the highest quality, from the flawless bisque to the superb sculpting. She is 6.5 inches tall and has her original mohair wig. 

There is a channel through her hips that could be used to attach her to a pincushion. Her current seat is an antique dollhouse chair.  The slightly molded and tinted nipples are a unique characteristic of Kister's beautiful bisque belles. . . 

but her identity is further confirmed, as underneath she is incised with the cross-hatch "S" mark of this company. 

 

Binocular Vision

This exquisitely elegant aristocratic lady is a vision indeed. By Galluba and Hofmann, this this half doll holds a pair of binoculars in her right hand. Perhaps she is watching the races at the Royal Ascot and forgot her hat. . . and a bit more.

She retains her original mohair wig.  Her perfect oval face, cameo-like features, slender neck, and sloping shoulders are the epitome of Edwardian beauty.

Of flawless fine bisque and workmanship, this belle with binoculars is 4 inches tall and incised “5691” on the back edge of the base. 

Let Me Entertain You. . . .

Let me make you smile

Let me do a few tricks

Some old and then some new tricks

I'm very versatile

And if you're real good

I'll make you feel good

I'd want your spirits to climb

So let me entertain you

We'll have a real good time,

Yes sir!

We'll have...

A real good time!

Gypsy, 1959, Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim

This immodest model by Carl Schneider looks like a showgirl in a burlesque show, languorously lifting away the straps of her elaborate, if exiguous, top.  As Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous American burlesque entertainer and "ecdysiast" who put the tease in striptease, once said, "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing slowly…very slowly."

The same model of half doll as pictured in the Schneider catalogue. My lady is 3.25 inches tall and incised "15547." The example in the catalog is denoted as "15545," which could be due to a difference in size or finish. This model came in several sizes and was also offered with a golden brassiere.

Dressed from Head to Toe . . . .

but with nothing in-between, this long-legged lass is from the German firm of Fasold and Stauch.  Of excellent china and 9 inches tall, she sweetly smiles with confidence, knowing that the right accessories are all you need to make a fashion statement.  Perhaps at one point she wore a dress of real fabric and lace, but with such a stunning hat (and figure!), who needs clothes?

Although marked only with a freehand “11” in black under her base, this flirtatious fashionista flashes the typical elongated amber eyes with grey shading attributed to Fasold.

Her torso fits down onto slots at the tops of the legs and is held in place with plaster. This allowed Fasold to use the same lithe limbs for a variety of figurines, without having to create an entirely new mold. For example, this be-gloved lovely, part of an auction by Theriault's, has been found on the same shapely legs.

Or a powder dish could be added, to hold an elegant half doll powder puff, as shown by this example, also from the same Theriault's auction.

Pretty in Pink

Although only 2.25 inches tall, this china full-figure bathing beauty pincushion doll displays amazing detail, from her delicately painted features to the fact that her graceful arms and shapely legs are free from her body. There are no marks, but William Goebel did use this type of unusual domed base for some of its pincushion ladies.