Postcard Image
![Postcard Image](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kNYwgVQItB8/T5iIkDtTkaI/AAAAAAAAA8U/RdfgHQcgZr0/s1600/postcard.jpg)
As the Victorian era passed into the Edwardian and Roaring Twenties, a market developed for bisque and china bawdy novelties and figurines of women in revealing outfits. Although now most of these figurines seem more coy and cute than ribald and risque, in their time they symbolized the casting off of the perceived restraints of the Victorian era.
These little lovelies included bathing beauties, who came clad in swimsuits of real lace or in stylish painted beach wear, as well as mermaids, harem ladies, and nudies, who were meant to wear nothing more than an engaging smile. Also produced were flippers, innocent appearing figurines who reveal a bawdy secret when flipped over, and squirters, figurines that were meant to squirt water out of an appropriate orifice.
Most were manufactured in Germany from the late 1800s through the 1930s, often showing remarkable artistry and imagination, with Japan entering the market during World War I.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Ladies of Mystery
Thursday, January 6, 2011
It Takes Two to Tango
A fellow collector alerted me to this image, appearing on the youtube video, Masculine Women, Feminine Men (it appears at 1.27). The reason?
This toothsome twosome by Galluba and Hofmann. These delectable dancers are 8 inches tall and incised "9039" underneath. There is no doubt this china figurine was inspired by the postcard image. But where did the image come from? Although signed, the image from the video was too blurred to make out the signature.
Doing a little research on the Internet, I came across this postcard picturing another prancing pair. The style of the painting seemed similar to that of the first image, and the signature appeared to be the same in style and shape. But really first caught my eye, was that this second image also inspired a figurine in my collection. . . .
Clad in gowns covered in glitter, described in German catalogues as flittergold, these bisque tangoing ladies outfitted in Edwardian elegance are 5.25 inches tall and incised “Germany 8918.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)