Twelve years ago I was a working housewife and mother of two grown kids. On my days off
from work I would go antiquing, mainly searching for depression glass. One hot summer day
I went to an old country auction and my daughter pulled out a beautiful lady figurine
covered with plastic flowers. It was my first introduction to Lady Flower Frogs.
Although I didn't stay to buy it, my interest was peaked. When I found another one at an
auction in a box of junk, I was ready to bid. My knees went weak when I purchased my first
Lady Flower Frog for $3.00. I then began searching for them everywhere ... I was hooked.
Little did I know that I would end up with a collection of over 300 beautiful Lady Flower
Frogs. I would like to share these beauties and some of the limited information I have
found about them.
Since early civilization people have wanted to display flowers. From around 1910 through 1940 and particularly in the 20's and 30's there was a fashion to use Lady Flower Frogs. Although we can not be certain, we can only imagine what great influence the artistic dancers of the time had on the design of the Lady Flower Frogs that leap and dance through the air twirling silk scarves or flower wreaths. Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis and Loie Fuller impressed Europe with a new creative style of dance. Elizabeth Kendall in her book, WHERE SHE DANCED, tells the legend of how Loie Fuller discovered her style of dance:
"Offstage one day a beam of sunlight caught a piece of silk she was draping on herself and in the mirror she was.transformed. Being of scientific turn of mind, she began to experiment with ways to move the silk around in the sunlight, and she perfected a number of motions-twirls, waltz steps, little skips-that made the silk swirl"
It
must be noted that these dancers' bare bodies were considered artistic, as in the
sculpture and paintings that were popular. Isadora Duncan had a school of dance for young
women. There dancers were called "Isadorables". I am in turn calling the Lady
Flower Frogs that resemble the graceful, spirited dancers "Isadorables".
Lady Flower Frogs were made in the United States and other countries. Pottery companies
in the United States include Weller, Fulper, Cowan, Van Briggle , Rookwood and Haeger.
Weller Pottery was made in Fultonham, Ohio, from 1872
through 1948. Fulpher Pottery was made in
Flemington, New Jersey, from 1814 through the 1930's. Artus Van Briggle, who worked
as a decorator at Rookwood Pottery, started his own company in 1901 in Colorado Springs,
Colorado. I visited the Van Briggle Pottery factory five years ago. They are still in
business, although Lady Flower Frogs are not being produced. Cowen Pottery was made in
Cleveland, Ohio, from 1912 through 1931. Figures of dancers with the base adapted to hold
flowers were introduced in 1925. The "Scarf Dancer" won 1st prize
in the May Show (Cleveland Museum of Art's yearly juried exhibition of Ohio art) and
"White Swirl Dancer" was awarded 1st place in 1926, in the category of pottery,
a designation unacceptable to Cowan who considered these figures fine-art sculptures.
Rookwood Pottery was made in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1880 through 1967. Royal Haeger, a
line of premium art ware of Haeger Pottery, began in 1938. Haeger Pottery was founded in
1871 in Dundee, Illinois. Germany produced some of the most intricate and artistic Lady
Flower Frogs. I also have frogs from Japan, Czechoslovakia, England, Denmark, Finland,
France and China.
I've enjoyed collecting this beautiful artwork. It has given me the opportunity to meet people and to give a purpose to all the hours spent in antique shops, flea markets and auctions. I haven't been too successful in finding information about the Lady Flower Frogs. I have only found the briefest mention of these flower holders in pottery and porcelain books. I was surprised that I didn't find much in the flower arrangement books of the period until I came across an entry from the book THE ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS written in 1933. The author states:
"One piece of advice, while on the subject of flower blocks or holders: If you want to win a prize in a good flower show, never, never maroon a dancing lady in the midst of your plant material! There seems to be no one thing more universally disliked by competent judges. The ordinary flower block of pottery or glass is not improved by the addition of a capering nymph of dubious artistic merit, and it certainly adds nothing to any arrangement of flowers"
I totally disagree. What do you think? I would like to hear comments from you about my collection. pollyf@flash.net
