Bathing Beauty of the Week

 

Ms. #536 is a "modedamen mit gefäß" (fashion lady with container) according to the catalogue of Hertwig and Company of Germany.  She is part of a series of elegant Edwardian ladies "mit paperhüten und mit tuchschur bemalt" (with paper hats and painted flocking), striking insouciant poses.  Of excellent bisque  and modeling, she is molded in sharp base relief against a rectangular vase.  Her form-fitting and daringly decollete top is covered in fine green flocking, giving it the look and feel of cloth.  She wears the remains of her original mohair wig adorned with a  replaced blue crepe paper hat.  Incised "1086" on back lower edge of the vase, she is 5.5 inches tall.

 Here she is as pictured in the Hertwig catalogue.  Notice that the catalogue number matches the incised number on the figurine.

 

I have added more pictures to my page on Hertwig's petite pets, thanks to a generous English collector!

Better Safe Than Sorry!

This is another frisky fairing, featuring a fair maiden telling her rather forward gentleman caller, "Be good, and if you can't be good, be careful."  This may be one of the earliest safe sex public service announcements!  Variations of this phrase featured in several racier music hall songs.  Of good sharp bisque, and 3 inches long and 4.25 inches high, it is very nicely detailed and decorated for this genre.  Underneath it is stamped "Made in Germany" in a circle. 

You first, my dear Gaston. . . .

This comic china figurine is known as a fairing, because these small inexpensive porcelain pieces often were given as prizes or sold as souvenirs at fairs from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s.  Made in Germany, many fairings carry a caption.  This fairing features two well-dressed gentlemen apparently preparing to share the buxom blonde beauty lying on the bed behind them.  The caption reads, "After you my dear Alfonse."  This phrase was made famous by the American comic strip, "Alphonse and Gaston" by Frederick Opper, which featured two garishly dressed and extremely ugly, but extraordinarily polite, Frenchmen.  The comic first appeared in 1901; however, neither of the fairing's rakish roués resemble the grotesque Gaston or Alphonse and their elegant clothing is closer to what a Victorian gentleman would have worn in the late 1800s.  Although it is possible that the fairing dates from after 1900, I wonder whether it is earlier and that the comic strip's catch phrase actually was inspired by some preceding vaudeville act or music hall skit.  The quality of this fairing is quite high for this genre, with detailed modeling and nicely done decoration.  Stamped "Made in Germany" in a circle underneath, this funny fairing is  3.5 inches long and 4 inches high.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Ms. #535 is a supersized sensual siren by Galluba and Hofmann.  Her high-piled molded hair is unusual for Galluba, but her exceptionally beautiful face is decorated in typical Galluba style.  She is 5.75 inches tall and is incised "9600" on back of the base, as well as stamped "Germany" in red inside the base.  

2013 Austin Doll Collectors Society Show!

The Austin Doll Collector's 38th Annual Doll Show and Sale will be on October 19, 2013, at the Norris Conference Center.  Check under  Pages for more information.

The Last of the Toothsome Toothpick Tootsies

This will be the last post on the series of sensual sirens attached to green precolored bisque toothpick or match holders, all apparently by the same mystery maker.    Ms. #389 appeared earlier on this blog.  Of sharp bisque with excellent modeling and decoration, this 5 inch tall literate lovely is incised “5513" between the back legs of her chair (Ms. #440 is marked "5516" and Ms. #504 is incised "5193," further supporting the supposition that they were indeed by the same company.) Once there was a green jasperware container of some sort attached to the right side, but now only two bits of green bisque remain.  

   

Whoever the manufacturer was, the company seems to really liked women and wine.  Ms. #534 carries a big bubble of bubbly,  while her sister holds out her wine glass to be filled. These two buxom imbibing belles from my blog posting of December 4, 2011 both pose by precolored bisque containers shaped like champagne corks.  The beauty in blue holds up her champagne flute to a rosy cheek, while the other in orange pours herself a drink. 

The Return of the Toothsome Toothpick Tootsies

This week I return to the review of a series of toothpick or match holders featuring a bisque beauty in a rather revealing outfit standing against a small container of green precolored bisque.  Although I do not know their manufacturer, I am certain it is not Schafer and Vater.  Like Ms. #504, who was featured on January 23rd, this buxom blonde wears a fairly scanty swimsuit.  Perhaps in keeping with the water theme, the  green precolored bisque container behind her features molded reeds.  Unmarked, except for a freehand "4" in blue, she is 5.5 inches tall.

Check out my new page!

I also collect all-bisque dolls as well as bathing beauties and just added a new page with some of my favorites, a scarce all-bisque bestiary of anthropomorphic dolls from Hertwig and Company.

I (Still) Need a Man!

As those of you who have followed this blog know, I am always on the lookout for a man -- or at least the male version of the German bathing beauty, those hunky beach boys in bisque.  So, when I saw this advertisement from Barbara's Dolls in the February 2012 issue of "Antique Doll Collector," my heart pounded with anticipation!

Alas, it was not to be, for another had already claimed him and his two companions.  The trio is by William Goebel, and while I do have the scarce Goebel sultan, this is the first time I have seen a male bather from this company. The blue and white striped suits are typical of Goebel.

The elusive gentleman with his flattened bottom for secure seating, gesturing hands, and long legs resembles this Goebel gal, clad now only in her molded underwear.  There are several different poses in this very hard to find series.  One wonders if Goebel modified a mold from this series to create the above beach boy.

A closer view of her face shows the painted lashes under the eyes, a detail sometimes found on Goebel fashion ladies and half dolls.  She also has the rather prominent nose typical of many Goebel ladies.  As I have noted before, Goebel's ladies, while equal in quality to their contemporaries from Galluba and Hofmann and A.W. Fr. Kister, often fail to match the cameo-like loveliness of Gallubas or the striking beauty of Kisters.  However, look at this laughing lady's expression.  What Goebels may lack in looks, they make up for in personality!

So, I continue my search for the perfect (bathing beauty) man!  If anyone comes across one, let me know.  I have over 500 lovelorn ladies who would make him most welcome!

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Although Ms. #504 wears a pale yellow beach towel rather than a gown and goes bare-legged rather than clad in black stockings, she certainly appears to be from the same series as the voluptuous belles from the preceding three weeks.  Not only does she display the same sharp bisque and similar modeling, behind her is also a little attached container in green precolored bisque, again molded to resemble a wicker basket. Clad in an oversized bathing cap and a skimpy swimsuit, this bathing beauty is 5.5 inches tall and is marked underneath with an incised "5193"  and freehand "34" in orange.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Continuing our exploration of the mystery match or toothpick holders adorned with lissome long-legged lasses, I am reintroducing Ms. #440, who appeared earlier on this blog.  Like her sisters, she wears long black stockings and heeled pumps and has her full tresses twisted into a topknot.  Her gown, however, is white, not pale yellow, and lacks the raised designs (but is certainly every bit as revealing!).   She sits on a stool next to a basket of precolored green bisque.  This 4.75 inch tall figurine is finely modeled in sharp bisque, is incised on back "5516," and has a freehand "14" painted in black under the basket.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Continuing the theme of toothsome tootsies on toothpick holders, I am reintroducing Ms. #454, who appeared earlier on my blog.  She is certainly from this same series of sensual sylphs in blonde topknots, garbed in rather revealing pale yellow gowns and incongruous black stockings and high heels. Looking somewhat wistful, she sits on the edge of a basket of the same green precolored bisque as found in the containers attached to her two preceding sisters, but her holder lacks the raised white jasperware designs.  Like her sisters, she is of fine bisque and beautifully modeled.  Marked only with a freehand "6" on the bottom, this toothpick or match holder is 6.75 inches high.. 

Bathing Beauty of the Week

 

This lissome lass appears to holding out her wine glass for Ms #534 of the preceding week to fill.  They certainly make a pretty pair, but are not quite twins.  Although they appear to share the same hairstylist and identical taste in shoes and stockings, and both stand against similar jasperware urns, each wears her own unique pink and yellow gown.  While Ms. #534 is garbed in a more conventional, if revealing, dress, this nubile nymph's ample curves are barely contained in her draped robe.  Of the same excellent bisque and workmanship, she is 6.5 inches high and is incised underneath "4411."  Although sometimes attributed to Schafer and Vater, I think these sisters are part of a series by another German maker.  More lovely ladies from this series will be pictured in the next few weeks.   

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Ms. #534 appears to be preparing for a very, very happy New Year's celebration, judging from the magnum of champagne she holds in her left hand.  Despite her bottle of bubbly and a revealing robe that emphasizes her considerable cleavage and exposes a black-stockinged leg, her expression appears rather shy and demure.  Maybe she is just deep in thought, trying to remember where she left her bottle opener.  Of excellent sharp bisque and detailed modeling, she is 6.75 inches tall  and is incised "1101."  Attached behind her is a green urn adorned with a jasperware grapevine around the rim.  She is part of a series of lovely ladies in rather revealing outfits posed by a small jasperware container for matches or toothpicks.  Although she and her sisters are sometimes attributed to Schafer and Vater, who also made extensive use of jasperware and loved long-legged lasses in black stockings, to me the modeling, especially of the hands and faces, does not look like Schafer's work.  Next week I will picture more pretty ladies from this series. 

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Ms. #529 is another of a series of barely clad bisque belles literally sitting high on the hog. In Germany, the pig is a sign of good luck and prosperity and it is traditional to give gifts of candy or marzipan pigs known as glücksschweinchen (good luck pigs) at Christmas. However, considering the young lady's state of undress and "come hither" pose, instead of a "good luck pig," this appears to be a "get lucky pig."  Of good sharp bisque and nicely modeled, this gal and her glücksschwein are 3.75 inches long and incised underneath “50” and "6."

Saul Steinberg's Bathing Beauty

The December 3, 2012, edition of The New Yorker included a review by Peter Schjedahl  of a recent biography of famed cartoonist Saul Steinberg.  Illustrating the article was a 1951 photograph of Steinberg and his wife, Hedda Sterne, posing by a mantel piece adorned with an interesting assortment of objects.   But who is that shyly peeking out from behind the ornate clock?

She appears to be the long lost sister to Ms. #473,  a Galluba and Hofmann fashion lady who was featured earlier on this blog.

I wish I knew the story behind Steinberg's bald bisque bathing belle.  Where did she come from and why did he and his wife give her a place of honor on their mantel?  Was she a gift from a beloved friend, a souvenir found on a trip, a precious present from one to the other?  And where is the little lady now?  Was she passed down as a treasured heirloom or does she sit forgotten and abandoned in some dusty attic or on an antique shop shelf?  If only my silent seraglio of bisque and china could talk--who knows what stories they would tell!

Bathing Beauty of the Week

In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking . . . . but there is nothing shocking about Ms. #528 and her gorgeous gams garbed in green.  Of excellent china, this six inch tall damsel in dishabille stands before a small vase or container.  Although unmarked, she is certainly of German quality.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Ms. #527, who is naked as a jaybird, poses with her fine feathered friend by a gilt-edged powder dish.  Although unmarked, she certainly resembles half dolls by William Goebel featuring a beauty and her exotic bird.   Made of excellent china, this delightful dish is 4.5 inches high.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Ms.  #526 gets her ass in gear, quite literally, as she prepares to journey to the sunny shore.   Of excellent china and nicely modeled and decorated, this unusual 5 inch tall figurine served as a souvenir, as painted in dark blue on the donkey's flank is "Blonville s/Mer."  Blonville sur Mer is a coastal town in the Normandy region of France, one of the many French seaside resorts long popular with tourists seeking sandy beaches and bright sunshine.