12" (30 cm.) h. x 11 1/2" w. A bisque foundation is sculpted and painted to depict a grass and vine-covered hillside with tree trunk and branches, upon which are playfully arranged a frolicking party of multiple Kewpies, permanently fired onto the foundation during the original factory production, and which include rarities such as Kewpie drummer, Kewpie with cornucopia of roses tumbling playfully onto the head of another Kewpie, Huggers variation with top hat, another pair with Civil War helmet, and Kewpie on a swing. A one-piece trio of seated Kewpies oversees the entire scene, others read books or play musical instruments, and one joyful couple stand face-to-face, arms clasped to each other as they gaze lovingly into each other's eyes. Doodledog stands guard, little Blunderboo Kewpies crawl along or climb trees to add joviality to the scene, as well as many others. Condition: generally excellent, rifle tip is missing, right hand missing on Kewpie on swing. Comments: Germany, circa 1915, from original designs by Rose O'Neill. The exhibition piece was cited in the 1983 research book, Kewpies and Other Works by Lois Holman who wrote "to my knowledge there were only two of these figurine statuary-type pieces in existence"; further research suggests there may have been six or seven. The exhibition pieces were created, under special commission in the German porcelain firm, and were designed as promotional centerpieces by luxury shops. This present example, previously undocumented by Kewpie scholars, has been in the hands of a private family from San Antonio, Texas for nearly a century. Points: extremely rare and important exhibition work, a highlight of the signature work of the noted American artist, Rose O'Neill.
Stuart's Take
One of the unique stories behind this Kewpie Mountain was that when I met the original family who owned it for close to a century they admitted to me that until this year they had no clue what it was. They didn't even know of Kewpies. The granddaughter told me that it stood on a shelf in her family home in San Antonio for years. They had various names for it but never related to Kewpie. Only upon doing a reverse image search on Google did they find one we had sold a few years ago, thereupon realizing what it actually was. Imagine their surprise! Family lore is that her grandfather, who was a renowned surgeon in San Antonio, saw it in a shop window during the Depression years and offered to buy it. He was widely known around San Antonio for being a collector of quirky objects so, of course, this fit right in. Such a wonderful back story on this incredibly rare and whimsical creation.
