Postcard Image

Postcard Image
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.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

A Very Special Edition

This smiling and scantily clad sultry sultana perched on a powder box is marked underneath in red “Editions Etling Paris” inside an inverted triangle.  In 1909, Edmond Laurent Etling opened his specialty store in Paris at No. 29 Rue de Paradis, offering the most exquisite and exclusive objects d'art of bronze, ceramic, and glass.  The shop was stocked with the creations of the leaders in the French modern art movement, including Dimitri Chiparus, A. Godard, Claire-Jean Roberte Colinet, Lucille Sevin, Jean Theodore Delabassé, Gazan, Georges Béal, Maurice Guiraud-Rivière and Marcel Guillard.  Etling's elegant editions spearheaded a style that would become known as art deco.  After Paris fell to the Germans during World War II, the store was closed and Etling, who was Jewish, was sent to a concentration camp and his death.

Of excellent china and beautifully painted in brilliant colors, this 8 inch tall box is the epitome of the art deco objects offered by Etling. On back of box lid is “A Godard” painted in fancy black script and the bottom of box is also marked "France" and with a dark red circle containing the letters “S,” “E,” “G, and “B.”




Thursday, November 6, 2014

Queen of Hearts

This pretty perfume bottle features a flirty flapper wearing her heart on her sleeve--well, not exactly on her sleeve, but she is certainly letting her sentiments be known.  Of good china, this 5 inch tall figural perfume bottle is incised on her base with the Carl Schneider mark and “DEP 15750 Germany.”  She holds a large heart, with a crown top, that would have once held some sweet scent.