Prima Ballerina

This beautiful bisque ballerina by Galluba and Hofmann is 7.25 inches high and 6 inches long.  A hole in the sole of her left foot fits over a supporting rod, allowing her to pose gracefully on tip toe.  She is unusual not only because of her pose, but also because she comes clad in a molded bustier, but no other undergarments. I added the tutu made out of antique gold mesh lace to cover her naked nether regions and maintain this delicate dancer's dignity.  The wood base is not original; she may have once posed on a pincushion, candy box, or bisque base.

A close up of her extraordinarily lovely face.  This ballet belle wears her original mohair wig

A Stunner by Carl Schneider

For a collector, just when you think you have seen everything, something completely new pops up! At first glance, this big (14.5 inches tall!) beautiful bisque belle appears to be a fashion lady by Galluba and Hofmann. However, her lovely face with its full cheeks and prominent chin is not typical of Galluba and her lower body and legs lack the details often found on a Galluba fashion lady, such as molded ribbed undergarments or high-button shoes.  The base and figure are molded in a single piece, while Galluba ladies were generally molded separately from their bases and subsequently attached with a bit of plaster. 

A closeup of her beautiful face. The mohair wig is original.

However, there is no mystery as to her maker, as she carries the "G" pierced by double arrows of Carl Schneider Erben. In all my years of collecting, I have never before seen such an example.

Although her face, slender arms, and graceful hands are beautifully modeled, below the waist all such delicate details are missing. Unlike Galluba, Schneider was not going to waste time and effort on parts that would be covered by clothing.

Hand in Glove

I send to you a pair of gloves.

If you love me, 

Leave out the "G"

And make a pair of loves.

                           

Throughout Western history, gloves have been associated with love. In the age of chivalry, a fair damsel might give her chosen knight a glove as a token of her love and fidelity, which he would proudly display in his belt or wear on his helmet.  Presenting a woman with a pair of fine gloves, especially if they were perfumed, was a sign of courtship and even betrothal.  The preceding poem appeared in Elizabethan times and continued to be quoted in some form in love notes and Valentine cards through the Edwardian era.  Perhaps this lithesome lady with her shy smile has just received the pair of gloves she holds from an ardent admirer.  Incised on the back of her base "406” and “E,” this  5.5 inch tall bisque belle is by the German firm of Galluba and Hofmann.  She wears her original brunette mohair wig and at one time would have been garbed in a fashionable Edwardian gown of real silk and lace to cover her molded undergarment.