EE
Poodle ceramic figurine,
circa 20th Century
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POODLES
and other 1950s Collectibles
My books on the post-World War II era and years
as appraising collectibles worldwide gives me great
interest in the fun and kitchy objects of the 1950s.
For pet lovers and canine enthusiasts many dog
breeds were popular in the decorative arts and
collectibles of the mid-century modern era. One of
the most popular breeds was the poodle. Elizabeth
Taylor owned a pet poodle in 1955 and Audrey
Hepburn appeared with two poodles at photo
shoot for her movie, Sabrina in 1954. From poodle
skirts to Glidden pottery featuring dog imagery,
the poodle had a place in the American design
aesthetic of the period. After World War II, there
was a feeling that we as Americans were part of a larger global society. We
started to see ourselves more as citizens of the world. What was collected during
this period spoke to a new modern age and a newly embraced internationalism.
In the post-war years, the popular ceramic figurine of the 1950s known as the
Spaghetti poodle referenced an international symbolism and a nod to Hollywood’s
collecting practices. Spaghetti poodles were made by manufacturers in
Italy, Japan by Napco and others, France and here in the US, too.
Spaghetti poodle figurines spoke to an interest in the upper echelons of society
like Hollywood starlets and pointed toward a cultural high style for home accessories.
Atop many new mid-century modern television sets, there sat a family of
white, pink, grey, or very rarely yellow ceramic Spaghetti poodles. Some were
general figurines for a display shelf, some were more functional holding earrings or
lipsticks on a vanity dresser, and some were marketed in sets of three with chains
or leashes attaching parent poodles to puppy poodles.
Spaghetti poodles were figurines intended for the living room or dining room;
the rooms where company was received, cigarettes were smoked, grasshoppers
and martinis were enjoyed. They were not just any mid-century modern figurine
like commonplace Hummel figurines depicting small children brought home by
American GIs of the Second World War. Spaghetti poodles were special for their
unique form, modern look, and sculptural artistry. A keen collector of the day
would recognize the artisan’s workmanship and creativity in the individuallyformed
strings of ceramic “spaghetti”. An interested buyer would recognize the
subtle differences between the American, Italian or Japanese manufactured versions
of the collectible art form.
Spaghetti poodles differed widely from the American-made, bright-eyed and
almost painfully cutesy Lefton bluebirds that were popular at the same time.
These cheerful ceramic bluebirds were undoubtedly kitchen collectibles and
were only suitable for the shelf over the sink or the space atop the Hoosier cabinet
near the Frigidaire. Conversely, Spaghetti poodles were living room decorations
watching over happy hour and dinner parties with an undoubtedly fashionable
flair.
I appraise approximately 20,000 objects every year at public events nationwide,
for public museums and private collectors, online and via video call appraisals
on Skype, Zoom, Facetime, etc. and when I appraise these mid-century
modern ceramic collectibles, I look first for condition and quality. Condition is
key because those delicate clay spaghetti elements can be easily damaged. I
look for rare colors of the clay like yellow, mustard, or gray. White, pink and black
are more commonly found in the collectible world of Spaghetti poodles. I admire
and value a distinctive sculptural form which can be recognized as loose or
tight poodle curls in excellent condition. If a collector has been able to acquire
complete sets of Spaghetti poodle family groups or special varieties of the tiny
sculptures then those examples are worth considerably more than the run of the
mill examples. As the 1950s became the 1960s, other figurines and common collectibles
started showing their age and interest waned, however, the Spaghetti
poodle was actively collected for decades to come.
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