One of the delights of selling vintage items is researching and learning about them. Each item has its own story to tell, each company its own history, and both have their unique place in the bigger human journey. Let’s look at an example.
This kneeling, turbaned figurine, perched upon a pillow, is holding forth a tray. His cheeks are ruddy and his eyebrows raised. Though the figure’s appearance echoes near eastern or southeast Asian cultures, the stamp on the bottom of the pedestal says “Made in Germany”. What is this figurine for? When was it made, and by whom?
Of course, all such inquiries begin with the internet. Often, they end there too, since the answer is either learned, or would require a much deeper investigation than one could invest in researching each vintage item. A quick image search turns up a very similar item available for sale. The colors are different, but the figure appears in every detail the same. The seller has the item listed for sale on Esty.com for $43.26, and has identified it as “German Arabic Figurine”. In the item description the seller has marked the vintage as being from the 1920’s. In the item description, it is characterized as the image of Alladin, and says that he carries a tray for matches to light a lamp. I was not able to find any other examples to match my figurine in the image search results.
So what can we learn from a physical examination of the statue? The condition is excellent. There are no stains, no crazing of the glaze. The colors are bright with no fading. If this figurine is from the 1920’s, it has the appearance of a contemporary production. There are some things that hint to an older age, though. It is definitely a hand-painted piece. Brush strokes are visible and the occasional mistake can be found, revealing its human origins.
Then there is the mark on the bottom of the base, “Made in Germany”. We know that this item was made for tourism or export, because it is in English, but we also get some hints about when it was made. Since it says “Germany” and not “Western Germany”, we know it was either a pre-war item, or was made since the reunification of Germany in the early 1990’s. Here we can get more help from the internet as well as from our own knowledge and experience with vintage marks. The internet says this mark is from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. Importantly, we can cross reference the mark with other vintage items that we know were produced during that time to find the same marking.
So we have a pretty good idea about when the item was made, but what is it for? Our fellow reseller on Etsy postulates that it is to hold matches or a book of matches for lighting a lamp. I think it is possible that it was for holding calling cards, which were in popular use during that time, or possibly for holding rings or earrings on a ladies vanity counter, especially a young lady of an age to be fascinated by the stories of the Arabian Nights, which were also popular in Europe during that time.
As to who the maker was, there are few clues. There is a production number stamped on the bottom of the pedestal, but it doesn’t give us any leads on who the manufacturer was, or where in Germany the item was produced.
So what do we have? We have an excellent example of German porcelain figurines produced between about 1890 and 1930. We don’t know where in Germany it was produced, or by what manufacturer, but we know it passed through the hand of an artisan who painted it, probably along with dozens or scores of other such figurines that day. We know that the production quality was very good, using superb colors and glazes and creamy, smooth porcelain. We know that it was likely shipped from Germany to England or the United States where it was purchased by its first owner. We can make a few guesses as to how the figurine was employed, but from its condition it is likely that it was only ever used in decoration and display. In fact, it is likely, from the clarity of color and lack of any staining, that it has spent a lot of its time packed away somewhere out of sight. And it will always be a mystery to us to know who has owned this piece of history, who has touched it or seen it, where it has travelled, what families it has lived with, and what stories it could tell.
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