Sharon Hope Weintraub's
Bawdy Bisques and Naughty Novelties: German Bathing Beauties
and Their Risqué Kin
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.
Lovely Ladies and Others from My Collection
Updated 710/10
I am in the process of transferring this web page over to a
blog. The blog will make posting text and pictures much easier, and will
allow me to update more frequently, post larger pictures, and dispense with
thumbnails. The blog will also provide a searchable index of past pages.
I will no longer be updating this page, but you can read my new blog, Bawdy
Bisques, including my first posting (bathing beauties with something
to "crab" about), at bawdybisques.blogspot.com
Click on each picture for a larger image!
As June brings us Father's Day, I thought I would present some of
the rare men of the bathing beauty world.
Here the scarce sultan from
the William Goebel harem series appears to be giving a little fatherly advice
to his intent Nubian serving boy, another rare piece in this set. The sultan
is 4.25 inches high and clad only in his original brocade turban and molded
white loin cloth, decorated in front with blue, red, and yellow "jewels."
He is unmarked. The serving boy is 4.25 inches and wears his original oversized
turban of dark gold brocade and melting sheer blue pants over molded white
baggy harem pants. There are no visible marks. Both are of excellent bisque.
Showing he has both brains
and brawn, this buff china beach boy by Hertwig and Company engages in a
little beach side reading. He is 4 inches long and stamped "Germany
544."
A far less buff bisque beach
boy by Schafer and Vater urges passing "Girls" to gaze on him,
but it is not clear whether with admiration or pity. Incised with the Schafer
crowned sunburst mark and "9593," as well as stamped "Made
in Germany," he is 4.5 inches high.
Announcements (updated 710/10)
THE AUSTIN DOLL COLLECTORS SOCIETY 35th ANNUAL DOLL SHOW AND SALE will take
place on October 2, 2010. More information here.
A BONANZA OF BATHING BEAUTIES will soon be appearing in my booth on Bonanzle.
I have been commissioned to sell a collection of several hundred bathers
and other lovely ladies. I am currently photographing and cataloguing the
comprehensive collection, which has something for everyone, from extremely
scarce doubles by Galluba and Hofmann to china charmers by Hertwig and Company.
It may be a couple of weeks before I am able to actually start listing ladies,
but if there is a certain elusive lovely lass you are looking for to add
to your collection, please contact me.
PLEASE VISIT MY BOOTH ON BONANZLE!: I have left eBay because changes in
their policies over the last year have made it clear that small or part-time
antiques and collectibles sellers like me are no longer welcome, and the
ever-increasing fees charged by eBay and PayPal are nickle and diming away
my profits. The new eBay leadership has made it clear they want to convert
eBay from the world's biggest flea market to just another boring online
strip mall selling loads of new stuff at fixed prices. So I am trying a
new antiques and collectibles venue called Bonanzle.
Bonanzle is more like an online antiques mall, but it is trying to bring
back the community feeling and unusual antiques and collectibles once found
on eBay. Please drop by my booth
(Shayndel's Booth) for a visit and browse my inventory of bathing belles,
dolls, jewelry, and other small antique items!
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All writings and images appearing on this web site, unless
expressly stated otherwise, are the sole and exclusive property of Sharon
Hope Weintraub and may not be used by any other person for any or all purpose
or purposes without first obtaining her expressed written consent and permission.
DOMAIN NAME: I am mistress of my own domains! You can now reach this page
at the much easier to remember (and type) URL http://www.bawdybisques.com
or http://www.bblady.com
The Books
Now available from Schiffer
Books
, Bawdy Bisques and Naughty Novelties: German Bathing Beauties and
Their Risqué Kin. This in-depth photographic
study showcases the extraordinary variety of these antique figurines and
will help collectors and dealers discover the rich history behind them.
The 208-page hard cover book, with 410 color photographs, provides the decorative
details, size, and a current value range for each figurine. In
addition to chapters on the history of the bathing suit and how these naughty
novelties were manufactured, the book covers many different makers, with
pictures of their products, such as Galluba and Hofmann, William Goebel,
Hertwig and Company, Gebruder Heubach, J.D. Kestner, A.W. Fr. Kister, Dressel,
Kister, and Company, New York and Rudolstadt Pottery, Schafer and Vater,
Carl Scheidig, Bruno Schmidt, Carl Schneider Erban, Sitzendorfer Porzellanfabrik,
Ernst Bohne Söhne, and Weiss, Kühnert, and Company. Other chapters
include: Beauties and Beasts, picturing pretty ladies caressing their
precious pets; I Love Little Pussy, Her Coat is So Warm. . . . ,
a play on the affectionate name for a kitty cat and vulgar slang for female
privates, these femmes all feature strategically placed felines; Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!,
more prurient word play, this time with little ladies enjoying themselves
with very big . . . roosters; The Embarrassing Sisters, the Five
Barrison Sisters in their musical act combined schoolgirl innocence with
sexy suggestiveness, and a number of bisque figurines were based on these
bawdy belles of the Gay 90s; Black Beauties, picturing scarce dark-skinned
damsels; Diving Belles, no pose better displays the feminine form
than a graceful dive, and this chapter pictures shapely swimmers all assuming
this pretty position; A Glimpse of Stocking, ladies whose long, lithe
legs are clad in black stockings; Jeepers, Creepers, Where'd You Get
Them Peepers?, bathing belles with big bright googly eyes; Mermaids
and Sea Sirens, the original bathing beauties; A Moving Experience,
bathing beauties with jointed limbs; Some Real Swingers, flirty females
who swing through the air rather than simply sit on a shelf; One Thousand
and One Nights, sultry sultanas and exotic odalisques; Salomania,
the name for the Edwardian obsession with the deadly dancer of the Bible,
this chapter features figurines inspired by this ancient princess, including
those modeled on interpretative dancer Maud Allan in her most famous role,
"A Vision of Salome"; Too Much Maid, porcelain parodies
of Paul Chabas' painting "September Morn" by Campbell Kid creator,
G.G. Drayton; Working Girls, pretty ladies with a utilitarian purpose,
from pincushions to power boxes; The Flip Side, innocent appearing
figurines who reveal a sexy secret when flipped over; Hidden Treasures,
lift the lid on these bawdy boxes to reveal a risqué interior; and
Little Squirts, figurines that were meant to squirt water out of
an appropriate orifice. The book retails for $39.95. Want your book autographed
by the author (me, of course!)? E-mail
me your snail mail address and I will send you an autographed
bookplate (please be sure to tell me who you want the book plate autographed
for).
(NOW OUT OF PRINT!) Naughties, Nudies, and Bathing Beauties is
the first refeence book to cover bathing beauties and their sultry sisters.
The book features 184 photographs, almost all of figurines from my own collection.
Each category of collectible is discussed in detail, as are manufacture
and manufacturers and the social changes that brought about the demand for
these naughty novelties and risque bisques. Although this book is now out
of print, Amazon
Books may be able to locate a copy through its book search. I have also
been told that some copies may be available from Barnes and Noble. This
book also often offered through eBay.
Let Me Hear From You
Are you a fellow lover of these elusive little lovely ladies? Have any
questions or comments? Want to suggest another antique doll link? E-mail
me at bblady@onr.com. (That stands for
"bathing beauty lady.") I am always interested in purchasing fine
quality naughties, nudies, or bathing beauties (as well as French or German
all-bisque dolls), individually or as a collection!!! Also, I am always
on the lookout for old German manufacturers' catalogues showing these figurines.
Additions and Revisions (updated 11/6/08)
Articles (updated 3/02/10)
In the February 2010 edition of Antique
Doll Collector , I have an article picturing a scarce catalogue
page of bathing beauties from Galluba and Hofmann, as well as some of those
ladies in the flesh (well, actually bisque and china).
The June 2009 edition of Antique
Doll Collector features my article, "The Gorgeous Gals of Gebruder
Heubach," picturing nubile nudes by this German company.
The July 2008 edition of Antique
Doll Collector contains my article , "Genevieve Pfeffer and
Her Alluring Girlies," which sets out the history of the once hugely
popular, but now largely forgotten, Splashme bathing beauty dolls.
The May 14, 2008, edition of The
Antique Trader features an interview of me by Catherine Owsianiecki
regarding bathing beauties and mermaids. The article is illustrated with
several examples from my collection.
The April 2007 edition of Antique
Doll Collector contains my article , "Petite Pets: Anthropomorphized
All-Bisque Animals by Hertwig and Company," which features tiny cat,
bear, bunny, duck, and monkey dolls, all in their original crocheted clothing.
There is a short one-page article, entitled "Beach Babes," in
the November edition of Coastal
Living magazine. The article quotes yours truely and pictures two
bathing belles from my collection.
My article, "The Stunning Bisque Sisters of A.W. Fr. Kister,"
appears in the August 2006 issue of Antique
Doll Collector magazine. The article concerns the extraordinarily
exquisite bisque bathing belles attributed to this little known factory.
Lot of pictures of these elusive lovely ladies, including one that won a
blue ribbon at the United Federation of Doll Clubs annual convention in
Dallas in July 2006!
In the November 2005 issue of Antique Doll Collector is my article
entitled "Tiny Treasures and Miniature Marvels" discusses the
tiny bisque dolls (under two inches tall!) in elaborately crocheted costumes
produced by German companies such as Carl Horn Nachf and Hertwig and Company.
The article includes lots of pictures of these most diminutive
dolls.
The October 2000 issue of Antique Doll Collector magazine
includes an article by me called "Good Things in Small Packages,"
about a family of all-bisque dolls manufactured by Hertwig and Company,
found in their original box.
Another article by yours truly appeared in the April 1999 edition of the
same magazine; entitled "German Fish Tank Fantasies," it focuses
on German bisque mermaids and features lots of color pictures of these fabulous
finny femmes (along with a rare merman and two merchildren!).
In the January/February 1999 issue, I have an article entitled "Half
Sisters." The article shows how the German firm of Galluba and Hofmann
modified some of its bathing beauty molds to create elegant half dolls,
which were used to decorate pincushions, candy boxes, and other items. The
article includes several color pictures of beautiful bisque bathers and
their equally lovely "half sisters.
Fakes, Fantasies, Reproductions, and Reissues
(updated 12/6/08)
The collecting world, especially the on-line auctions, has been overrun
with reproduction bathing beauties and related novelties being wrongly represented
as old. To try to address this flood of fakes, I have created a web
page setting out my suspicions regarding possibly bogus bathers and
their questionable kin. Check this page regularly for updates, and, if you
know of any reproductions or reissues, please feel free to send me information.
As more collectors and dealers become familiar with these reproductions
and reissues, it will be harder to pass off the reproductions as originals.
However, collectors must be aware that there are now very good reproductions
on the market, educate themselves as to what is available, and exercise
a little more caution before making a purchase.
Mundial Company
out of Belgium offers many models of reproduction baigneuses (bathing beauties
and naughties), poupees (all-bisque dolls) and demi-figurines (half dolls),
all copies of German originals. Many of these reproductions are made to
look worn and dirty, to give these new items the look of authentic age (and
also to disguise the often poor quality of most of these repros). Mundial
does not put its own mark on any of its items, but many pieces it produces,
because they were made from molds taken from the antique originals, carry
old numbers and marks, and some even have spurious marks. These new "old"
items are appearing in antiques markets throughout Europe, on online auctions
such as eBay, and even in antique shops and at antique shows, where they
are often offered as antique. Mundial continues to churn out new lines of
reproductions and the quality is improving. All dealers and collectors are
urged to check out the Mundial website regularly to learn about Mundial's
newest "antiques."
Mundial Company has even begun producing copies of pieces originally reproduced
by the German Doll Company
(GDC)! The GDC has reproduced bathing beauties and mermaids from
old molds found in a German factory of Weiss, Kühnert, and Company.
The quality of the bisque and decoration of these GDC repros is very good;
good enough, in fact, to fool many collectors. There are a number of rare
and desirable items, including a mermaid on an alligator and a merman mounted
on a seahorse. The GDC's reissues can be differentiated from the
originals because, frankly, the GDC's products are often much finer than
the old pieces. The bisque is smoother, the complexion coats rosy and evenly
applied, and the faces beautifully painted. Many of the originals, such
as the little mermaids and bathing beauties, were mass-produced inexpensive
novelty items; the bisque did not have the satiny smoothness of the GDC's
products and far less attention was paid to the painting, especially the
facial features. In some cases, the GDC has produced the item in different
material and colors from the originals. The GDC originally marked
its products with a fired-in blue roly-poly clown symbol. However, not only
do unscrupulous dealers remove the mark and resell these reissues as
antiques, copies of pieces made from GDC molds are appearing without any
marks. These figurines are showing up frequently at antique shows and on-line
auctions, sans any GDC mark, and new versions seem to be appearing in Germany
and Belgium. Be sure to visit my Fakes,
Fantasies, Reproductions, and Reissues web page and scroll down to the
Weiss section, which includes pages from an original catalogue. Look at
these catalogue pages carefully and exercise extreme caution before purchasing
any figurine that appears there. Also, the GDC, in addition to its reproductions,
is now offering what it claims are thousands of pieces of "forgotten
old stocks" dating from the 1900s through the 1950s.
Artistic Reintroductions (updated
3/7/07)
A number of companies, as well as very talented porcelain artists, are
introducing new intepretations of bathing beauties, nudies, and mermaids.
These companies and artists do not attempt to pass their reissues off as
old and proudly mark all their products. Unfortunately, some nefarious dealers
or collectors are removing these marks or otherwise trying to pass these
reproductions off as old originals (one tactic often used in misrepresenting
artists' reissues as old is for the seller to gush over the figurine's beauty
and desirability, suggesting in every way the lady in question is a rare
and collectible item, but coyly never actually mentioning the figurine's
age). It is important for collectors to educate themselves about possible
reproductions. And if you know of other artists recreating these lovely
little ladies, please send me the information so I may add their links to
this list.
Elaine Kewin is producing new interpretations
of a number of bathing
beauties and mermaids, including a nubile nude with molded hair that
is a copy of an original by Hertwig and Company and a reclining lady with
a mohair wig that is a copy of a beautiful bather by Galluba and Hofmann.
A skilled artist with a delicate touch, Ms. Kewin produces figurines and
dolls in both precolored and tinted bisque; they are accompanied by paper
labels and are signed and dated in an inconspicuous place, such as the back
of the head or on the foot.
Australian artist Maree Massey, creates not only life-like children
of bisque, but also lovely ladies, adorned with intricate outfits of lace
and ribbon. Her wigged bathing beauties appear to be modeled on bathers
from Galluba and Hofmann and A.W. Fr. Kister. Massey is also reproducing
naughty nymphs from Schafer and Vater's black-stocking series. Examples
of her wonderful work are on display here
and here.
Heidi Schaefer is creating beautiful voluptuous bade-damen,
as well as pretty teepuppen, using molds from Heinz and Company. Her exquisite
creations are extremely limited and signed.
The SLO Mermaid Company
is making new bisque versions of antique aquarium ornaments for collectors
who cannot find or afford the scarce originals.
And, for those of you who would like to try your hand at making your own
lovely ladies, Jean Nordquist has molds
and supplies.
Other Bathing Beauty, Antique Doll, and Other Links (updated
6/8/08)
Antique Doll
Bulletin Board Bonnie Bull's "Flower
Frog Gazette," an on-line newsletter for flower frog fans.
Elaine Kewin creates
charming new versions of beautiful bathing beauties and sultry sea sirens.
Polly and her fabulous
flower frogs.
The Antique & Collectible Exchange,
lots of links to antiques and collectibles.
United Federation of Doll Clubs
Vickie Little's
wonderful web site picturing fantastic figural powder boxes.
Jean Nordquist,
bathing beauty molds and doll making supplies.
Heidi Schaefer recreates
beautiful bade-damen and pretty teepuppen based on old molds.
Sheaelle Batchelder's
bevies of beautiful boudoir dolls.
The SLO Mermaid Company,
new bisque versions of antique aquarium ornaments .
For you fans of cats and/or Japanese antiques, please visit my maneki
neko page (updated 10/9/09).
In November of 2007, I was able to fulfill a life-long dream and travel
to the Galapagos
Islands. I have posted some pictures from my trip.
More Weintraubs on the Web
(updated 12/9/09)
Here the scarce sultan from
the William Goebel harem series appears to be giving a little fatherly advice
to his intent Nubian serving boy, another rare piece in this set. The sultan
is 4.25 inches high and clad only in his original brocade turban and molded
white loin cloth, decorated in front with blue, red, and yellow "jewels."
He is unmarked. The serving boy is 4.25 inches and wears his original oversized
turban of dark gold brocade and melting sheer blue pants over molded white
baggy harem pants. There are no visible marks. Both are of excellent bisque.
Showing he has both brains
and brawn, this buff china beach boy by Hertwig and Company engages in a
little beach side reading. He is 4 inches long and stamped "Germany
544."
A far less buff bisque beach
boy by Schafer and Vater urges passing "Girls" to gaze on him,
but it is not clear whether with admiration or pity. Incised with the Schafer
crowned sunburst mark and "9593," as well as stamped "Made
in Germany," he is 4.5 inches high.