BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

TAPA

INTERIOR

El perro de la parte superior mueve la cola,

el de la parte inferior sacude la cabeza agitando la muñeca.

 

TAPA

INTERIOR

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MATCH HOLDERS

Antique Match Holders

Match holders, also known as match safes or vesta cases, date to the mid-19th century, when friction matches were first introduced. While a boon to cigar-puffing fat cats and homemakers alike, early friction matches, which were also called Vestas and Lucifers, almost did their job too well, sometimes bursting into flame in a user’s pocket. Match Safes keep these hair-trigger fire sticks from rubbing together and combusting prematurely.

The golden age of match safes was around 1870 until the 1930s, when matchbooks and cigarette lighters obviated the need for most match holders. At home, wall and tabletop match safes were used, primarily by women for domestic uses such as lighting a stove. In fact, stove manufacturers often made cast-iron match holders, which were mounted to a wall in the kitchen to keep the matches handy. Other wall-mounted match safes were made of tin and featured lithographed advertisements for everything from soda pop to whiskey to sliced bread.

In the late 1800s, men carried match safes in their coat pockets. These accessories were often more ornately decorated than their pocket watches or their wives’ jewelry. Many were made of sterling silver, embossed or engraved with images of people smoking or abstract patterns resembling smoke. Others were wrought of gold and inlaid with enamel scenes or decorations, and a few match safes were carved from antler or ivory.

By the turn of the century, it was becoming more permissible for women to smoke in public, so match safes designed for this expanding new market came to the fore. The New York jeweler Tiffany & Company sold sterling silver match safes accented with copper and brass and decorated in the Art Nouveau style. Gorham, Bristol, and Whiting are among the many American silver manufacturers that produced match safes, while Cartier and Fabergé exported their products from overseas.

Beyond rectangles and ovals, whose lengths conformed nicely to the shapes of friction matches, match safes were made in the shapes of animals, shoes, boots, and even body parts, resembling charms on a bracelet. Other match safes were treated like canvases for tiny sporting, rural, or city scenes, rendered in warm, inviting enamels.

One category of matchsafes that also appeals to those who collect Asian antiques includes pieces in copper, lacquered metal, and brass that were made in China and Japan. These handsome objects were decorated with dragons, buddhas, and geishas, as well as bamboo foliage and other nature motifs.

Perhaps the most prevalent of all match safes were those used to carry advertising or commemorate a noteworthy event. Match Safes invited their holders to use certain lawn mowers, wear particular brands of hats, and drink this or that brand of tea. Naturally many promoted cigars and cigarettes, as well as international expositions and world’s fairs.

Bisque head match holder

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Half Dolls

  

         

 

FROM:  Doll Collecting Guide - Denise Van Patten, About.com Guide

Half Dolls - An Introduction:

Half dolls are just that--generally, the upper half of a human figure, without legs. Half dolls were produced without legs so that they could be attached to something useful--very commonly, pincushions, but also wisk brooms, tea cozies, and numerous things that could grace a ladies' dressing table, such as powder boxes.

Half Dolls - Years of Production:

The vast majority of Half Dolls were produced between 1900 and the 1920s, although some were produced earlier than that and some later. Some half dolls are still reproduced today.

Companies That Produced Half Dolls:

Most half dolls were produced in Germany, by firms such as Dressel & Kister, F. W. Goebel, Ernst, Bohne & Sohne, Heubach, Hertwig, Karl Schnider and many others. Japan also flooded the market with inexpensive models.

Sizes of Half Dolls:

Most half dolls are between 2 and 6 inches tall, although there are smaller and also a few larger examples.

Materials and Characteristics of Half Dolls:

Half dolls are generally made of porcelain (glazed bisque, sometimes called china) although there are also models made in unglazed bisque. Half dolls have also been made out of composition, wax, and many other materials.

Marks on Half Dolls:

Half dolls are often found unmarked, marked Germany or "Made in Germany", or with a four or five digit mold number. Models from Japan can be marked "Japan" or "Made in Japan." Only a few companies such as Dressel and Kister and Goebel would sometimes mark half dolls with their company's distinctive mark.

Prices of Half Dolls:

Simple, crudely painted half dolls from Japan or Germany with close arms (see below) are priced at no more than $20 to $30. A good German half doll with arms away or nice detailing and clothing can be valued at $100 to $300+; half dolls with elaborate hair and rare accessories can bring several hundred dollars; elaborate, rare Dressel & Kister or Ernst, Bohn & Sohne half dolls can be several thousand dollars. Chocolate ladies on the market can vary from $400 to $2000+ depending on the maker.

How To Identify Desirable Half Dolls:

There are so many thousands of styles of half dolls made, and so few good reference books available, that many doll collectors throw up their hands in frustration and feel that half dolls and their values are nearly impossible to decipher. That is not true--with a keen eye, and a few basic facts about half dolls and half doll pricing, any collector can start to understand the fascinating area of half doll collecting.

The complexity of the mold used to make the half doll is very important. The more complex the mold used, generally, the more valuable the half doll. Simple half dolls with arms "close" to the torso (no separation of arms from the torso, made with 2 mold pieces) are generally the least expensive. Next are half dolls with "open and returning arms, which show some separation between the arms and the torso. The most desirable have "arms away," which have arms modeled completely away from the body of the half doll, and which generally require complex molds.

The painting of the half doll also contributes to price differences. Delicately and precisely painted half dolls are worth more than those with crude painting. Although most crudely painted half dolls were made in Japan, many budget models were also made in Germany, so having a half doll marked "Germany" is no guarantee of quality.

The third major factor in half doll desirability is the type and complexity of the modeled clothing and hair, and also which accessories the half doll is holding. More complex clothing (ruffles, hats, feathers) and more complex hairdos add to the value. Also, is the doll holding an accessory? A famous accessory that increases the value of half dolls greatly is a "chocolate tray" with a pot of hot chocolate and a cup. Other desirable accessories can include delicate grooming items, small animals, and flowers and flower baskets. See pricing above for examples of variations on pricing depending on the complexity and rarity of half dolls.

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MUÑECAS FAMIL

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