Figure - Bebés del Piano (2) - Ceramic

Why do collectors from all over the world go crazy trying to find these figures? At the end of the 19th century, in the height of the Victorian and Edwardian era, it became fashionable to cover grand pianos with luxurious silk mantillas. As the silk kept slipping, German manufactories (such as Heubach in Thuringia) created these heavy porcelain figures to hold the mantillas in style. Thus the "Piano Babies" were born.

But this lot hides a double twist of mischief and innocence at the same time: How was it explained to children back then where babies came from?

The Baby from the Cabbage: The adorable figure in the green basket is the literal representation of the old European fable that "babies are born from cabbages." Notice the level of detail of the textured cabbage leaves!

The Baby from the Shell: The second figure shows a baby with a mischievous look breaking a giant egg, a lovely modernist allegory about birth and the beginning of life.

Authenticity Marks: Both pieces are from classic moulds of the German porcelain’s golden age. They retain their printed numbers on the base: 0766 on the cabbage baby and 0915 on the shell baby.

Condition and Patina
Condition: In fantastic vintage condition for more than a century of life. No breaks, cracks, or restorations.

Original Paint: The faces, rosy cheeks, and sideways glances retain the original pastel pigment hand-painted by the artisans of the era. They show the patina and the time’s dust in the inner recesses, the unmistakable “ID” of real antiquity.