Harem Ladies
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The Mundial
Company continues to flood the collecting world with fakes. Now it is
branching out into the harem lady line. These two china sultanas are by
the German company of Schafer and Vater. Mundial is making a version of
the reclining lady. Often, the original Schafers are simply white with gold
costume and features, like this example. Sometimes they are tinted, like
her kneeling sister, who has a very pale pink-toned complexion with soft
blushing and very nicely done features, especially the shapely lips. The
gold on both figurines is cold painted and generally shows some wear. Both
figurines feature the clean, sharp modeling and high quality material typical
of Schafer. The lounging lady is 5 inches long and incised "1631."
The Mundial version has a mottled pink complexion, rather harshly painted
features, and is poorly finished. The modeling is not as crisp and the gold
appears to have been done with a spray gun.
Yet another harem lady being
copied by Mundial. This original is done in reddish terra cotta and the
paint was not fired in, so it often shows some flaking and wear. She is
unmarked and is 6 inches long. The fake by Mundial has a very dark,
shiny complexion and the colors are fired in, but the real giveaway is that
it is made in bisque, not red earthenware, so if you flip her over and look
inside through the sizable airhole underneath, it is WHITE inside.
Yet another harem lady being
copied by Mundial. This original is done in reddish terra cotta and the
paint was not fired in, so it often shows some flaking and wear. She is
unmarked and is 6 inches long. The fake by Mundial has a very dark,
shiny complexion and the colors are fired in, but the real giveaway is that
it is made in bisque, not red earthenware, so if you flip her over and look
inside through the sizable airhole underneath, it is WHITE inside.