HAREM LADY BY WILLIAM GOEBEL - NOT A HALF DOLL, BUT A BEAUTIFUL GERMAN BISQUE FIGURINE

Sharon Hope-Weintraub, an American bathing beauty collector and renowned author of the book "BAWDY BISQUES & NAUGHTY NOVELTIES" just posted two very interesting figurines in her blog at:

 http://bawdybisques.blogspot.de/2012/05/bathing-beauty-of-week_16.html 

The amazing figurines are from a series of scarce harem figurines by William Goebel of Oeslau / Bavaria. Sharon shows a sultan, who is smoking a pipe, and his black servant, a Nubian boy. One of his harem ladies lives in Germany and is still waiting for him (.... or any other sultan as far as he is made by Goebel). Doesn`t this sound like the story of Romeo and Juliet? Two lovers who can never live together.

The harem lady is not a half doll, but a gorgeous Goebel bisque figurine. 

The lady is just observing her flawless complexion in the mirror.  Her brown turban is made of cloth and is still all original with two little metal plates sewed to the right and left side. A metal half moon is sewed to the top of the turban. The lady retains her original brown mohair wig and her original dress. The necklaces are not original. Her molded loincloth with painted jewels, similar to that of the sultan, is hidden under the skirt. The figurine is marked with an incised number "1773.", height is 11 cm (4-1/3").

ISABEAU & MARIE, MEDIEVAL QUEENS BY DRESSEL & KISTER (HALF DOLL & FIGURINE)

This post is introducing two French queen consorts of the medieval times - ISABEAU DE BAVIERE and her daughter-in-law MARIE D`ANJOU. Dressel & Kister of Passau/Bavaria is well-known to collectors for their outstanding series of medieval figurines. They produced both, beautiful medieval full-figurines and superb medieval half dolls. Dressel & Kister even produced medieval half doll gentlemen, for example an outstanding medieval falconer (http://www.viennaantiques.com/ver_producto.asp?id=3680 )

ISABEAU / ISABELLE de BAVIERE (born as Elisabeth of Bavaria-Ingolstadt -c. 1371 – September 24, 1435) was queen of France and wife of King Charles VI of France. She married on July 17, 1385. When she became Queen of France in 1385, her husband was showing signs of mental illness.  The King and Queen of France did manage to have many children including the future King, Charles VII of France and two daughters, Isabella and Catherine, who later became Queens of England. Isabeau was one of the most unpopular Queens of France. She got involved in politics and public affairs when her husband, King Charles VI of France was mentally incapable.

  

This Dressel & Kister figurine and the matching half doll are renditions of Isabeau de Baviere, obviously made from a French costume print. The half doll was not made with this flowing veil dropping down from the headgear. The doll measures 11 cm (4-1/3") in height, marked with the blue D&K bishop`s crozier, the figurine was made in several sizes.

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MARIE D`ANJOU (October 14, 1404 - November 29, 1463) was the Queen consort to Isabeau`s son King Charles VII of France from 1422 to 1461. Charles VII`s victory in the Hundred Years War between the French Kingdom and the Kingdom of England owed a great deal to the support he received from Marie's family, notably from her mother Yolande of Aragon. Although Marie and Charles had twelve children,her husband`s affection was primarily directed towards his mistress Agnès Sorel. 

This is the Dressel & Kister rendition of French queen Marie d`Anjou with her book of hours or prayer book. Marie`s headdress is a truncated hennin. The hennin is a headdress worn in the late Middle Age by European women of the nobility. Dressel & Kister manufactured the figurine and the matching half doll. The doll measures 13 cm (5.1") in height, the figurine was made several sizes. 

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This figurine is an "add" for the "medieval fans" : 

the lovely figurine depicting Isabeau de Baviere is unmarked, probably made by the German firm Älteste Volkstedter Porzellan Manufaktur about 1900 to 1920. Unfortunately a matching half doll is not existing. What a pity!

THE SPANISH SENORITAS AND FLAMENCO DANCERS

It is quite obvious that in the 20s and 30s the Spanish senoritas and Spanish flamenco dancers attracted German half doll manufacturers as well as their customers. There are half dolls depicting Spanish ladies wearing a mantilla and/or a high comb, many of them are equipped with colorful fans; and Spanish ladies dancing flamenco with their clicking castanets. Spanish ladies are to find in the assortment of almost every German manufacturer. They were made in various sizes, nicely dressed or undressed. The quality ranges from “simple, but charming” to very fine and high quality; so to speak: Spanish half doll ladies for every taste and budget.

The appealing half doll with the white high comb outlined in gold was made by Dressel & Kister of Passau/Bavaria; the half doll dressed in black and white lace was made by Hertwig / Katzhütte (Katzhuette); and the half doll with the beautiful grey outlined eyes and the red high comb with painted golden accents originates from Fasold & Stauch porcelain factory. The Fasold & Stauch doll measures 15.5 cm = 6.1" in height. 

Both, the beautiful half doll lady in an off-white mantilla (15.5 cm=6.1" tall) and the lady holding a big fan (painted in red and green) on standing legs are originating from Fasold & Stauch of Bock-Wallendorf/Thuringia. The lady on standing legs retains her old pin cushion, which is hidden under the cloth skirt. The pin cushion made of fabric connects the body of the doll to the legs. The half doll with the pink and green painted comb and dress was made by Limbach Porcelain Factory in Thuringia; the half doll wearing a molded fringed shawl and holding red and blue painted fan was made by an unknown German manufacturer.

HUNGARIAN HALF DOLL LADIES MADE BY HEREND

The Herend Porcelain Manufactory (Herendi Porcelánmanufaktúra Zrt.) is a still existing Hungarian manufacturing company, specializing in luxury hand painted and gilded porcelain. Founded in 1826 by Vince Stingl, it is based in the town of Herend near the city of Veszprém. In 1839 Mór Fischer (Moritz Fischer) took control of the factory. The new owner of the manufactory, being very ambitious and having new ideas, started artistic porcelain manufacturing in the same year. After the fall of Communism in Hungary the factory was privatised and is now 75% owned by its management and workers.

The Herend Manufactory is running a very informative webpage in different languages. 

Information on their history is to find at: http://herend.com/en/manufactory/history

Information on the manufacturing and decorating of Herend porcelain is to find at:  
http://herend.com/en/manufactory/technology/

The Herend Porcelain Manufactory produced a series of four top-quality half dolls, depicting women in folcloristic Hungarian costumes. The dolls were made about 1935-40 (judging from the mark inside of the base of the dolls). Any input on the dating of the Herend mark and informations on the ethnic or national costumes would be much appreciated. 

The half doll lady in the impressive white headscarf with red painted pattern and the overlapping pleated collar measures 15.5 cm (6.1") in height, the half doll lady with the red headscarf with white polka dots is 10.5 cm (4.1") tall. The lady with the golden cap appears to be a dancer; she measures 15 cm (6") in height.

CHARLIE CHAPLIN - THE TRAMP - HALF DOLL

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.”

― Charles Chaplin

Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin,  (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I. His most famous role was that of The Tramp, which he first played in the comedy "Kid Auto Races at Venice" in 1914. "The Tramp" is a vagrant with the refined manners, clothes, and dignity of a gentleman. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Chaplin the 10th greatest male screen legend of all time.

More information on his life and work is to find in the Official “Charlie Chaplin” Website at: http://www.charliechaplin.com/

This cute half doll resp. pin cushion doll depicts “The Tramp” in his baggy pants, the big shoes, a cane, a derby hat and a small moustache. The "full figural" half doll was made by Carl Schneiders Erben (=heirs) of Gräfenthal/Thuringia, marked with their brand mark, known as “entwined G” (an uncrowned 'G' mark with the double-headed arrow) and measures 5.5 cm (2.1”) in height.

CATS, DOGS AND HALF DOLL LADIES

This post is showing half doll ladies in combination with dogs or cats and additional a few "full figural half dolls" in the form of cats and dogs. The "full figurals" have two or four holes in the base, and served as handles (toppers) for pin cushions or for fluffy swans down powder puffs for face powder or beauty powder, which was sold in cardboard boxes.

The Art Deco lady in a blue dress was made by an (still) unknown German manufacturer and measures 10.5 cm (4.1") in height.- The blond lady in a white dress was made by Galluba & Hofmann and is a scarce half doll. Related half dolls were made by Hertwig of Katzhütte and Weiß, Kühnert & Co., but the quality of the Galluba & Hofmann lady is much finer. - The lady in the yellow dress is a nicely done modern reproduction. The origin and the maker of this doll is unknown. - The comical little French bulldog with long ears once was sewed to the top of a straw-filled pincushion, whose old fabric has disintegrated over the years.

The Art Deco half doll with the blonde mohair wig was made by Fasold & Stauch and looks related to the lady in an old  French postcard.

The photo shows a cute half doll in the form of a young girl dressed in a molded white bonnet with shades of yellow. The girl holds a grey and white cat with a pink neckband (size is: 7.5 cm / 3" in height). The doll was made by Galluba & Hofmann of Ilmenau/Thuringia. - The Art Deco lady in a yellow dress with the black and white cat is a scarce French-made half doll, probably made by Henri Delcourt of Boulogne-sur-Mer/France. -  The funny little black cat with a red bow is a so-called "full figural half-doll". It is attached to an original old swans down powder puff from the 20s or 30s. The comical white cat with big green eyes once was the topper resp. the handle of a pin cushion.

This powder or vanity box is a "half doll related" figurine. The very elegant dressed Art Deco lady and her neat King Charles Spaniel are sitting atop of a trunk. The trunk serves as box, the lid lifts off. This exceptional fine powder box was made by Fasold & Stauch . The Art Deco lady looks closely related to the beautiful Fasold & Stauch Art Deco half doll ladies shown in my previous posts (.... therefore: a "half doll related figurine"). Size is: height 12.5 cm (5") x width 9.5 cm (3.75")

CHARLES DICKENS - "VERY BRITISH" HALF DOLL LADIES

This respectable half doll lady may represent a character in one of the novels by Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer who is generelly regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period and the creator of some of thr world's most memorable fictional characters (for instance, DAVID COPPERFIELD).


I`m assuming that the half doll could be a presentation of Sarah or Sairey Gamp from Dickens “Martin Chuzzlewit”. To me she looks similar to the “Sairey Gamp” figurines and plates made by Royal Doulton in England. However, I´m not an expert in Charles Dickens novels or characters and can be wrong with my assumption. Whomever she may represent, it is an amazingly fine and detailed made half doll.  Both dolls introduced in this post are made by A.W.Fr. Kister of Scheibe-Alsbach/Thuringia. 

The half doll lady with long brown ringlet curls is dressed in a sculpted cape or pelerine with blue stripes. Her sack, hanging from her arm, is seen beneath the ruffle of her cape. The bonnet is securely fastened with a large bow under her chins. It appears that her hands are clasped around the applied handle of an umbrella (which would be hidden under her cape). The caricature of Sarah Gamp was popular with the British public and umbrellas became known as gamps.  The half doll measures 13 cm (5.1”) in height and width. The incised mark D.345 is to find under the cape.

Her well-dressed “twin sister” took off her cape.  She is having tea-time and holds a cup and a saucer. This doll is unmarked.