from the doll cabinet

policheinelle.qx
4/8/04
4:42 PM
Page 1
FROM THE DOLL CABINET
By Michael Canadas
ike many collectors of antique dolls, I have an internal
“wish list”. This mental list is composed of dolls and other
items that I hope to make part of my collection some
day. A few of the much-longed-for items have been
“ticked off” the mental list over the years and I am quite
fortunate, but I also feel fortunate to have untold items remaining,
because that means I am far from finished! On my list are dolls
that I will probably never acquire, for various reasons, and I am
sure you all know the main one . . . and no, it’s not availability.
To have a mental list rattling around in my sometimes-vacant head
doesn’t mean I search out these dolls in any sort of logical order.
Collecting doesn’t work that way, at least not for me.
One of my favorite additions to the Doll Cabinet simply came
my way, in a trade deal. You know, we antique doll
dealers/collectors are always wheeling and dealing, yes it’s an
exciting life . . . never knowing where our next doll is coming
from. We’re really not so very different from other collectors,
most of us. Anyway, a very special character doll came to me in a
trade and as he was carefully wrapped and placed in a drawer
until he could be properly outfitted, etcetera, he was also ticked
off of my mental doll list. I am ashamed to say he languished for
quite a while in the drawer. In my defense, it is not the dolls that
are keepers that receive attention first, it is the dolls that are part
of the stock for sale that we must attend to in a more timely
manner . . . business, you know. Every time I would rummage in
his particular drawer-home, he would loudly demand to be
unwrapped, admired and wrapped up again for safe keeping,
until the fateful day he would receive his magical makeover.
In all of the twenty or so years that I have been involved with
antique dolls, I have only seen a very small handful of the Simon
and Halbig firm’s character mold number 1305. If my memory
serves me correctly, I have seen that “mold number” dressed as a
witch, although I believe there is another character by Simon and
Halbig that is more witch-like. Deep in my heart, I knew my
gentleman was not a witch, was never intended to be a witch and
would never, ever attain witch/warlock-hood while in my care.
Besides, no self-respecting witch would ever leave the, the -wherever witches live -- without a wart on her very prominent
nose, or at least upon her very noble-yet evil, chinny chin chin . . .
am I right? My man is wart-free and had no trace of gray hair, so
Uncle Sam was out of the running, too. Hmmmmm?
So, the next time I went into his drawer-domain, with a feeling
deep in my bones that he was nearing his makeover date, I left
him unwrapped and placed him on a shelf in plain view. I find
this self-inflicted technique works on me sometimes . . . simple,
pure, unadulterated . . . guilt.
A 20” Simon and Halbig 1305 found his true identity as Polichinelle.
Note the telltale, molded, characteristics such as the prominent nose,
chin and crease in his forehead!
Laughter would invariably erupt from the audience when Polichinelle made
his appearance on stage...or at least part of Polichinelle!
1
policheinelle.qx
4/8/04
4:43 PM
Page 2
This is where the “hatched from an egg” theory was hatched! The mother hen doesn’t
seem to be buying this version!
A lovely, large, Bru Jeune carefully tends her crop of . . .
Polichinelles? And she thought she was growing cabbages!
Another version of the birth of Polichinelle.
This nineteenth-century toy maker breathes “life” into what will become the most beloved
of all French characters.
The character eventually known as “Polichinelle” did not make an appearance in
French literature until the seventeenth-century. He takes his name from an Italian
comic theater character, namely Pulcinella, shown here.
2
It was during a phone conversation with Nancy
Lazenby, at the time when she was acting as the UFDC
Convention Coordinator, that my character man would
subtly receive inspiration that would eventually absolve
him of his identity crisis. Nancy had called to ask if my
partner, David Robinson, and I would be willing to create
an opening program for the national convention in New
Orleans. Naturally, my immediate response was “what is
the theme?” Nancy replied that a colorful image of the
beloved French character Polichinelle was to be used on all
of the printed material and that “C’est Si Bon” was the
actual theme. Now, Nancy is a very nice-yet-persuasive
gal, but she did not have to plead, cry, or ask twice,
because the outrageous-looking French character
Polichinelle has always been a favorite of ours!
Nancy instantly sent all of the intended convention
artwork that we would need for our inspiration. Lots of
different ideas danced in our heads, but there was a
stumbling block, for what we needed most was, obviously,
a star! Believe it or not, it didn’t dawn on us right away that
we already possessed the star of our program, standing on
a shelf, directly in plain view. I don’t recall the exact
moment when simply in passing, I caught a glimpse of my
character man’s profile out of the corner of my eye and
suddenly I knew who my man was intended to portray . . .
he was and would be our Polichinelle! It had certainly taken a
while for me to see, but all of the proper characteristics
were there, save for the flamboyant costume.
policheinelle.qx
4/8/04
4:43 PM
Page 3
Polichinelle is a self-proclaimed royalist and his allegiance lies with
whomever wears the crown! The explanation? The best comedic material!
Polichinelle, it is rumored, regularly danced with a trained pig. Polichinelle
himself states about the rumor: “It is a pleasure I simply do not recall.”
Like many well-known public personalities “with questionable beginnings
and a small of serving of morals”, (to quote Polichinelle himself) Polichinelle
eventually entered the political arena. Polichinelle in 2004!
Some of you may ask why a German character doll might
be made to portray the French character of stage and
literature, the most beloved French character actor of all
time? One explanation might be that throughout the latter
years of the nineteenth-century and the dawn of the
twentieth-century, the Simon and Halbig Company enjoyed
a very active trade relationship with the French doll and toy
marketplace. Just as the German manufacturers of
dollhouses, Moritz Gottschalk, adapted designs and colors of
houses for the French tastes, is it so farfetched to think that
Simon and Halbig could not create Polichinelle in bisque?
Look at vintage trade catalogs that feature toys and dolls, the
image of Polichinelle is nearly always included, and much of
the time, he is featured most prominently.
Polichinelle’s personal history spans several centuries, graces
several continents, yet the details of his “birth” are shrouded in
mystery. In one version, Polichinelle originally entered the
world by being hatched from a rather large egg! Another
relates that one day, young Polichinelle was simply found all
alone, obviously abandoned by his parents. Yet another version
tells us that Polichinelle was found in a pumpkin patch, (or was
it a cabbage patch?), growing from a stalk!
In all accuracy, Polichinelle takes his name from
“Pulcinella”, a prominent character from Italian comic
theatre (commedia dell arte). Pulcinella is the Italian word
for “chicken” and he was obviously christened that due to
his long skinny legs and beak-like nose.
His relationships with animals were not always rosy . . . note the ape that is
about to clobber Polichinelle! The trained poodle appears a bit wary also . . .
the petite, French bebe is oblivious to it all however, as she bursts from this
nineteenth-century papier-mache ball toss!
3
policheinelle.qx
4/8/04
4:43 PM
Page 4
Is this image proof enough where the survival rates of cotton and excelsior-stuffed
Polichinelles are concerned? This four-legged “friend” is unwittingly tearing apart not
only history, but beauty, talent, integrity and education.
Throughout his years, one of Polichinelle’s main roles involved
providing comfort to children. Whether intentional or not, that is the case
with the figure above this ill child’s bed... a slight tug on Polichinelle and
a smile was not far behind.
In the soon-to-be-released version of the convention program, Polichinelle performs
“Can Can” with the Jumeau Twins. He does have a preference to one twin over the
other, although he detested them both at first sighting. He says one’s dancing talent far
outshines the other, but uncharacteristically, he has kept his preference to himself!
A popular photo opportunity for Polichinelle throughout the late nineteenth-century . . .
a doll wedding involving himself and a Bebe Jumeau. His other big gig was playing
host at a countless number of children’s birthday parties.
4
In medieval times, commedia dell arte can be described
as an impromptu form of drama that featured a wandering
band of masked performers. The group performed plays,
which were virtually recreated for each performance with
dialogue that was totally improvised. That aspect of the
performance, of course, required supreme amounts of wit
and imagination. Stock commedia dell arte characters
included Harlequin, Pulcinella, Pierrot, Pantalon and
Columbine. Polichinelle is an amalgamation of several
stock characters, but as mentioned above, takes his name
from Pulcinella, who is described as either “stupid,
pretending to be clever or clever pretending to be stupid”!
Therefore, his performance can be totally unpredictable!
Polichinelle would eventually find his own audience and
it proved to be through a wide variety of vehicles. In
eighteenth-century England, as the beloved, stick-wielding
“Punch” (along with his long-suffering wife Judy) he was
introduced into the theatre as a hand puppet and this
version became immensely popular with the lower classes,
while the refined upper classes would prefer the elegance of
the string puppet or “marionette”. But, class made no
difference to Punch or his French cousin Polichinelle,
because high or low, he simply portrayed a commoner at
odds with his surroundings . . . a likable rogue. He always
played the same role and was considered not only the most
memorable, but also the most talented of all of the players.
policheinelle.qx
4/8/04
4:43 PM
Page 5
Polichinelle had a habit of saying out loud, (quickly
pointing the bare facts of the Emperor’s new clothes,
for example) what others quietly thought. In stating
things simply in the manner in which he saw them, it
wasn’t long before the politics of the day entered the
fray. It was not purely political points of view that
Polichinelle ranted about on stage, but topics such as
marriage, medicine, money-lending and the law, as
well. Polichinelle was certainly no stranger to the
institution of marriage and it is reported that he
himself has walked to the marriage altar some sixthousand-three-hundred and twenty-two times! I think
it would be safe to say that the character of Polichinelle
is the French national symbol for fun, frivolity and
social disobedience. His character became so well
known in the theatre, that eventually just the sight of
his big nose poking around the curtain was enough to
start the audience off laughing! Polichinelle was
portrayed as a royalist, but that is not to say that the
kings and emperors of France were spared any of his
special brands of grief. Emperor Napoleon III bore a
resemblance to the big-nosed entertainer and
Polichinelle did not fail to capitalize on that fact when
upon the stage!
French children and adults alike grew to adore
Polichinelle and even today his name is associated with
Etrennes, the act of gift-giving at Christmas and the
dawn of the New Year. I have also read that when a
young man presented a doll version of a Polichinelle to
a young lady, it was inferred that he was interested in
courting her. The name Polichinelle is also associated
with, of all topics, pregnancy and once again, politics.
In France, to say that “a woman has a Polichinelle in
the drawer” means that she is expecting a child. The
French phrase “secret de Polichinelle” when used in
the political vein means “a farce, or telling as news
what is already widely known.” Really, no secret at
all . . . get it?
While his character may be frequently described as
that of a vain glutton, loudmouthed and obnoxious,
brutal and deceitful, and constantly under pursuit by
the police, Polichinelle’s world can be not only
raucous, but also unbelievably colorful and stunningly
beautiful to look at . . . especially through the eyes of a
child. His is a world that children love to inhabit and
toy makers did not fail to capitalize on that fact.
In my career I have handled items that depict
Polichinelle in just about every medium that I can
think of . . . wax, wood, bisque, paper, papier-mache
and even . . . soap! Many times found dressed in
colorful, silken, finery with abundant lace, the appeal
of Polichinelle is undeniable.
It was such silken finery that our Simon and Halbig
1305 gentleman would require and we set out to echo,
in his costumes, the chameleon-like persona that
resides within Polichinelle. Creating numerous
costumes with cumbersome double humps and topheavy hats was no small chore! His custom footwear
was no walk in the park either! His wardrobe is over
the top, if I do say so myself, and perfectly fitting for
such an amazingly vibrant character!
Polichinelle, a glutton?
Guilty as charged! His selfdescribed gluttony accounts
for his stunning body type.
The colorful personality of
Polichinelle was not only
recognized, but also
captured forever by Auguste
Manet in this 1874
watercolor “The
Polichinelle Affair”.
In this work “Masked Ball
at the Opera”, also by
Manet, Polichinelle appears
at left, just entering the
scene. Incidentally, this
masterpiece was refused
entry into “The Salon” in
1874. Polichinelle surely
reveled in playing a role in
helping to make art history.
5
policheinelle.qx
4/8/04
4:43 PM
Page 6
At last count, Polichinelle has tied the knot over six thousand times . . . a small section of his wedding album is shown here.
Admittedly, he once married a woman to obtain a bag of gold . . . and she came into the marriage with one hundred and seventy-two children!
Throughout most of the years of the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries, the exquisite name “Polichinelle”
has translated into “good for business”. . . the doll
and toy business, that is.
It is safe to say, that due to Polichinelle’s
kaleidoscopic history and the resulting
fame, he can be considered the eternal
Grand Marshall in the parade of beautiful
dolls and toys that we collectors encounter
on our collecting journeys. Eternal? Yes,
rest assured, this fact is not subject to
change because immortality is
Polichinelle’s greatest triumph. This was
revealed when he cheated the Grim
Reaper, yes Death itself. In his sly, suave
French manner, Polichinelle simply
insisted that it go first, and with that, he
gave Death a firm kick in the . . . well, you
know where! C’est Si bon!
6