Bathing Beauty of the Week

Ms. #481 appears to be very, very fond of her fine feathered friend.  No doubt inspired by the myth of Leda, this slender siren and her swan swain are actually form a holder for a man's pipe.  Attributed to the German firm of Fasold and Stauch, this pretty pair of interspecies paramours are 4.25 inches high and incised underneath "042."

My Cup Runneth Over. . . .

 . . . or at least my fountain does.  An inventive German collector converted some of his squirters to tiny bubbling fountains using a small pump, and I was inspired to try with some squirters from my collection.  I used a cat water fountain from Petco as the base (by the way, having tried a variety of such pet water fountains, I recommend the Petco product as the cheapest and easiest to clean and maintain), filling the two tiers with decorative aquarium gravel. 

 

I ran a length of aquarium air tubing from the pump into the squirter.  This little guy, modeled after the the famed Manneken Pis of Brussels, works exceptionally well, because unlike most squirters, the opening is in his back, rather than the usual top of the head.  The opening is also smaller than is typical, allowing for a tight fit of the tubing.  I also tested out a number of other squirters from my collection.

  

These ladies demonstrate why such naughty novelties were not meant to be used as perfume bottles.  Not only does the liquid squirt out a surprising distance in a stream, rather than a mist or spray, the fluid heads off in two different directions.

While the most typical type of squirter is a little boy in his nightshirt, this Black version is much harder to find than his White counterparts.

This unusual squirter portrays an early firefighter; he is actually spraying water from a hose coiled behind his right leg.  His helmet was designed to keep hot embers and ashes from falling down into his collar and the original was probably made of thick, tough leather.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

 Ms. #480 is a demure damsel who is just starting to come out of her shell.  Of excellent china, she is 5 inches long and 3 inches high.  Incised with "Germany" and faint number that looks like "Sp. 1116," she is attributed to Limbach Porzellanfabrik, which used this "Sp." mark on its products.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Sitting pretty on her hog (definitely not the Harley-Davidson kind), Ms. #479 is a powder or trinket  box.  This fetching flapper and her porcine mount are of china, and while unmarked, are certainly of fine German quality.  The box measures 5 inches tall and long.  I wonder why in past times there appeared to be some strange fixation with women prancing about on big pigs. 

Reproduction Warning!

The Victorian Trading Company, which specializes in selling Victorian and Edwardian inspired cards, clothing, and decorative items, is offering the following reproductions of naughties and bathing beauties in its current catalogue.  The reproductions look  to be of good quality and there is no indication where they were made or whether they are marked.

This is a copy of a flipper inspired by the Five Barrison Sisters, a music hall act of the 1890s.  When she is flipped over, her bare bottom is exposed.

This is a copy of the turtle lady from the Germany company of Weiss, Kühnert, and Company.  Her bare buttocks are revealed when the top of the turtle shell is opened. 

This bathing beauty flower frog was originally produced by the Sitendorf Porcelain Factory, although other German companies produced similar items.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Ms. #478 seems oblivious to the salacious shellfish reaching for the hem of her bathing suit   Boy, talk about fresh seafood!  The front of this 3.25 inch high bisque bather and her lascivious lobster  is slightly concave, so it could serve as a pin tray.  There are no marks.  I leave it to someone else to make the obvious "crabs" joke.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Little Miss #477 stands 4.5 inches tall on her 1.25 inch tall box.  This sweet young girl is a very scarce child fashion figurine by Galluba and Hofmann.  Of the finest bisque and modeling, she is all original from her long wavy light brown mohair wig to the oval box of textured silver paper.  Behind her is a molded bisque basket, which serves as a support.  Underneath the box is stamped in dark blue with Galluba shield mark over "Germany."  There is also a green and ecru paper label that reads "Loza Y Cristal Canelilla Concepcion Jeronima 13 Madrid." 

Bathing Beauty(ties?) of the Week

This terrific twosome is a scarce double bathing beauty figurine by Galluba and Hofmann.  At 5.75 inches tall, this is a larger version of the desirable double.   Typical of Galluba, this pulchritudinous pair displays lovely bisque and the finest modeling.  They are incised under the bench "354 " 

Where is the Fake?

This beautiful bisque blonde sits up in her bed, pulling away the front of her nightgown as she appears to search for some object among her bountiful bosoms.  Along the edge of her blanket is the incised caption, "Where is the flea?"

Turn her over and the tiny frolicsome flea is seen settled on her bare left buttock.  This is a very scarce naughty "flipper" by Schafer and Vater.  Note her graceful arms and delicate fingers, very susceptible to breakage in an item that is meant to picked up and turned over. Not only is this piece hard to find, it is even harder to find it in good condition.

However, suddenly there has been a number of these scarce flippers turning up on eBay, all being sold as old and some even advertised as by Schafer.  Well, these pieces are neither old or by Schafer.  They are modern reproductions by Mundial Company of Belgium (HR2001 under "Baigneuses").  Here is one example.

 

The quality is quite good, but it does not match the sharp bisque and fine details of the original.  The hands are heavy and clumsy, the facial painting lacks the detail of the original, the modeling is blurred, and the colors are harsher.  However, unless you are familiar with the authentic antique or have the opportunity to see the original and copy side by side, you could be mislead into thinking this reproduction is the scarce real deal.  Like all Mundial pieces, it does not carry the company's mark or any indication this is a new copy.

The  bottom view. . . . 

Bathing Beauty (?) of the Week

While not technically a bathing beauty, Mr. #474 is a scarce and splendid sultan from a series of harem figurines by William Goebel.  At one point, this 4.25 bisque pasha had harem pants and a vest of silk, but now all he retains is his original turban to cover his bald pate.  The dull gold turban  matches his molded slippers with the up-turned toes, and he also wears a molded loincloth with painted "jewels."  His rather sleepy expression as he puffs away on his pipe makes one wonder just what he is supposed to be smoking!  There are no marks.



 Also from the same Goebel seraglio series is this very scarce Nubian serving boy.  Wearing his original brocade turban, hoop earrings, and (sadly shredding) blue silk harem pants, this dark-skinned bisque boy is  4.25 inches tall.  He has molded white baggy harem pants under his silk ones and large molded slippers with curled toes.  A little silk pillow is balanced in his upturned hands. There are no visible marks.

Hey, Our Eyes Are Up Here!

A German gentleman working on a psychological paper on images of lactation, after seeing Ms. #447, asked if I had other lady squirters who sprayed water from their breasts.  I put together this group photo to send him, but they all looked so alluring, I decided to post the picture on my blog as well!

1913 Costumes de Bain

I found this wonderful article on costumes for "bains de mer" (sea bathing) from the 1913 Gazette du Bon Ton, an exclusive French fashion magazine targeting a wealthy and sophisticated clientele.  The magazine was printed in limited quantities and was illustrated by many of the finest Art Deco artists of the period.  Unfortunately, I do not read French and when I tried to translate the article using Babel Fish, I got, well, babble.  Still, the charming and colorful illustrations showing what was once considered the finest in fashionable swimwear can be enjoyed in any language.   

 

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Ms. #473 appears to be a little shy, maybe because she now wears only her molded undergarments, when once she was clad in silk and lace.  Her outfit must have been quite elegant, because she wears painted long gray gloves.  By Galluba and Hofmann, this modest miss has managed to retain her original mohair wig.  She is 6.5 inches tall and is incised "405" with cursive "C". 

Galluba and Hofmann, Always in Fashion

A friend and fellow collector alerted me to this 1983 Nina Ricci fashion advertisement.  

What caught her eye was not the courtier dress, but the three seated ladies. . . .

 

They are all original fashion ladies by Galluba and Hofmann.  The company's 1914 catalogue displays a similar group of grande dames, all dressed in real silks and lace in the epitome of Edwardian elegance and seated in identical chairs.  You can see two similar ladies from my collection, sadly sans gowns and furniture, here and here.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Someone must have told Ms. #471 to shake a leg! By Galluba and Hofmann, this frisky flirt strikes one of the more risque, and scarce, poses produced by this German firm.  At 5 inches long, she is also a desirable larger size.  Of excellent bisque, modeling, and decoration, she is incised “405. W.” under her buttocks. 

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Ms. #472 is one supersized siren, measuring 14.5 inches long and 7 inches high.   She is all original, from her light auburn mohair wig to her net bathing suit trimmed with red ribbons  Her face is beautifully painted and detailed, with  brown feathered brows, finely painted eyelashes,  and parted smiling coral lips revealing molded teeth.  There are no visible marks, but she is by Galluba and Hofmann.  My theory is that these gigantic bisque bathing belles by Galluba were meant as exhibit pieces, perhaps at commercial expositions or store displays,  and were not generally available to the public (it would take one heck of a china cabinet to display this gorgeous giantess!) These extra-large ladies are very hard to find, especially in such pristine condition.

Comic Bathing Belles by Wellman

I  have had this rather weird and wacky bathing beauty plate in my collection for many years.  It is part of a series showing funny beach side frolics.

 

Recently I came across this postcard by American artist Walter Wellman (1879-1949).  In the early 1900s, Wellman, a cartoonist for the Boston Globe, began publishing some of his cartoons as postcards.  Wellman created comic strips and drew illustrations for many of the newspapers and magazines of the day. It is interesting that even though the postcard clearly states that the image is copyrighted by Wellman, the plate does not include any reference to Wellman.

 

Another Wellman postcard.  His rather weird sense of humor does not appear to have passed the test of time.  Perhaps you had to be there (meaning the early 1900s) to appreciate it.

Another plate that was certainly inspired by the Wellman cartoon.  Again, there have been some subtle changes to the cartoon and the caption's American slang has been switched to more proper English.

The mark on the back of  each plate.  I have not been able to determine who the maker is, but I think, considering the plates appear to be plagiarising Wellman's postcards, the "Copyright Applied For" is a rather cheeky touch.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

A coy cutie, Ms. #470 stands 8.5 inches tall.  She has her original mohair wig and her legs are tinted dark gray to resemble stockings.  This lithe lovely certainly belongs on a pedestal!  By Galluba and Hofmann, such standing sirens are scarce.  Not only were they expensive to make and assemble, their slender legs and slim ankles are weak points, and many of her sisters no doubt broke off of their bases over the past century.  There are no marks.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

 

Ms. #469 is another all original ingenue from Galluba and Hofmann.  Of the finest bisque, she is 3.25 inches long and high.  Any marks are hidden under her net bathing suit.

Bathing Beauty of the Week

Ms. #468  strikes a pretty pose as she scans the horizon.  By Galluba and Hofmann, this bisque bathing beauty is still clad in her original bathing suit of silk net and ribbon, and her original mohair wig is covered by a matching bathing cap.  She is 4.25 inches long and any marks are hidden under her fragile swimsuit.