I was nonchalantly perusing the shelves of glassware at one of my favorite auction houses yesterday when something stopped me. There on a middle shelf were five head vases, all with red lips.
This grouping caught my eye because I had written a blog post earlier this week about how red lips had been used in all manners to degrade black people. And there front and center was a display of images with red lips.
Two of them were a couple and appeared to be Asian, with red paint nicely applied to their lips (even the man). Another painted a lime green wore a hairstyle that looked African with red lips that were complimentary, the same as a vase with a brown-skinned image. A jet-black face sported large red lips. This type of piece is commonly known among collectors as a blackamoor.
Despite what it’s called, the image for me corresponded to how I’ve seen black people portrayed. It was a stark contrast sitting there among the other demure head vases.
Red lips alone are not stereotypical; it’s how they have been used against people that is. Humans have been painting their lips crimson for centuries. Ancient Egyptians applied a red substance to their kissers. So did Cleopatra and Queen Elizabeth I of England, although one article noted that the substances they used may have been toxic.
China dolls made in Germany in the 19th century also had small painted red lips. Their heads, arms and legs were made of porcelain and their bodies were fabric. The dolls peaked between 1840 and 1890, but were made well into the 20th century. There were also many reproductions – some well-done, others not.
The china refers to the porcelain the dolls were made of and not the country. The phrase itself has evolved into a stereotype of Asian women.
And we must not forget the Japanese Geisha, with her elaborate hairstyle, traditional clothing, white face and red lips. Entertainment by the women was practiced in the country for more than 400 years, although there are fewer of them today. Red lips on these women represented beauty.
The head vases – or planters, as they are sometimes called – were also interesting because of the type of images. Most of the ones I see at auction are white female heads in fashionable poses. One website noted that the vases were primarily made during the mid-20th century – many manufactured in Japan – and were used by florists and sold in five and dime stores. They were made by various companies, and an estimated 10,000 different types were produced.
I don’t often see ones with nonwhite features. My auction buddy Janet got lucky, snapping them all up for about $5 each.
