320. Cheap but Charming: CELLULOID DOLLS

The invention of "celluloid" -- a kind of plastic created from wood prpducts in 1863--put an end to breakable dolls of china, bisque and porcelain.It was a popular material for a wide range of manufactured items---such as jewelry, fashion accessories, and of course, dolls. Beginning in the 1930s cheap dolls were moulded from this new plastic, and these small examples--no more than 3 inches in height--attest to the versatility of the material. These souvenir dolls representing natives of countries around teh world, date from the 50s/60s, and they were all old store stock. They are strung with elastic, and many come complete with moving, googlie eyes.

Dolls such as these were also given away as party favors, or as prizes in fiesta events. Some made great cake toppers. They made great collectibles for kids who aimed to complete their "nations of the world costume collection" with every purchase. Some of these dolls that you see here, are dressed also as harlequins and carnival waifs.  Celluloid, however, was not the perfect plastic, since it is flammable and deteriorates easily if exposed to moisture, also prone to cracking and yellowing. Nevertheless, toymakers capitalized on the new material, by mass-producing charming items that never fail to delight kids--just like these mid-century dollies, who ontinue to find favor among toy collectors!

289. FLAPPER COUPLE CAKETOPPER

Now here's a cake topper couple in a non-traditional pose. Instead of the stiff, formal figure of a bride and groom standing in rigid attention, these newlyweds are in a dancing mode, the bride in a winsome flapper dress that harkens back to the '30s.  Made of celluloid, this 3.5 inch bridal topper may have been produced in Japan. Cake toppers have been known since the turn of the 20th century. The first toppers were actual mini-dolls dressed to look like the bride and groom. Since then, they have been made of porcelain, bisque, plaster, plastic and fabric. The 50s were the heyday of cake toppers, and there is a growing horde of topper hoarders who collect these as wedding collectibles, mementos of a happy milestone in peoples' lives. To them, we say Best Wishes!!

240. Before They Were Famous: ALFIE ANIDO'S YEARBOOK

Remember Alfie Anido? He was one of the so-called Regal babies launched to stardom in the late 70s to 80s (the others were Willima Martinez, Snooky Serna, Jimmy Melendez, Gabby Concepcion, etc.). Well, back in 1973, he was a chubby elementary school graduate whose batchmates include President Noynoy Aquino, designer Pepito Albert and senator Teofisto Guingona III!

That's what I found in his Ateneo Yearbook, which I picked from the recent Greenhills Antiques Fair. Just 14 years old here, Alfie was a member of the Varsity Football. Upon graduation, he remained in Ateneo to pursue a management course.

While in college, he started appearing in commercials and in fashion shows, and was soon discovered for the movies. He was teamed up with former Miss Magnolia finalist, Dina Bonnevie, whom he supported in the 1980 hit camp film "Temptation Island".

Just a day before his 21st birthday, on 30 December 1980, Alfie died, reportedly of suicide. But rumors abound that the Enriles had something to do with his untimely death (he was with Juan Ponce Enrile's daughter, Katrina, at that time). In Enrile's recently published memoir, he revealed that Fabian Ver was behind the rumor linking his family to Alfie's death, a rumor that has become a sort of an urban legend in Philippine showbiz. Who would think that only 7 years before that, Alfie was a happy, chubby, cute young Atenean, with perhaps just his football games in his mind?

238. CHOCOLATE DEMISTASSE CUPS

I remember my Grandmother Patricia's (Apung Tiri) old and tiny demitasse cups which my Mother kept for the longest time in an old bookcase that had lost its glass panelled doors. In fact, she used that bookcase to store her special crockery, to be taken out and used only during special occasions like our annual fiestas. Same was true for Apu’s lovely little cups—they were only taken out once or twice a year. By any standards, her demitasse cups were just plain white ironstone cups, not even porcelain—with a raised relief of a carnation flower in front.

These cups were used to serve special hot chocolate, freshly made from ground chocolate mixed with peanuts and gatas damulag, then briskly whisked in a brass chocolatera using a wooden batirul. The resulting frothy chocolate drink was sipped daintily from these cups, to be savored slowly, with puto, broas or çhurros, depending on your taste and budget. 

Sometimes on Christmas, we also filled these cups with green duman (gelatinous rice) and then pour the hot chocolate afterwards—a taste treat unlike any other! My Mother too had her own sets of demitasse cups which she recived as wedding gifts—she had real porcelain cups with transfer print of roses as well as even smaller ones with gilt rims. So treasured were these cups that they were even etched on the bottom with my mom’s initials—E.R.C. Through the years though, we lost a lot of these cups; we only have half a dozen now, some without handles, others with cracks. Even then, I keep them on display on a shelf in our old house, a family souvenir of sorts. 

Recently, I came upon a nice set of demitasse cups of similar make from two different sources—one from a San Fernando dealer and the other from a roadside Bulacan antique shop. I bought them years apart, so I suppose these cup styles were rather popular. But what makes them special was that they were personalized either with the names of the owners or with personal wishes intended for guests. One example has the name ”Apolinaria” written in a flourish in gold. Others carry greetings like “Amistad”(Amity or Friendship) and “Recuerdo” (Souvenir), in low-grade gold.

These were done by itinerant artisans who once roamed towns offering their unique services of personalizing utensils, jewelry pieces and objects of value by hand. There are those who carefully incised the back of plates and cups with the owner’s initials using a hammer and a metal pick. Others used their calligraphic skills, writing names using gilt paint, as in these examples. I was lucky to get ten perfect cups—each a showcase of the vanishing art of personalizing objects by hand, as well as memory pieces to remind me of my Apu I never met, and my late Mom’s cooking skills which I continue to miss every day.

232. LETTER ART: Victoriano Caballero

While scrounging around for some worthy finds at the antique row of NLEX's Sta. Rita Exit, I came upon an old religious print of the "Virgen de la Paloma"--tattered beyond repair--framed in a crumbling gesso'd picture frame. It was a pity that the print could no longer be salvaged, it had large missing parts--but the dealer pointed out to some possible paper treasures found at the back of the picture. Indeed, 3 pieces of paper were found sandwiched between the frame and the print, acting as backboards.

I was immediately drawn to a 22 x18 sheet of browning paper--a watercolor letter art bearing the name "Victorino Caballero". Letter art was a popular Filipino past-time, and the best examples were the water color 'letras y figuras' creations in the 19th century. "Letras y Figuras" refer to an art form involving the painting of the letters of the alphabet by ingeniously forming their contour out of the shape of human figures, animals, plants, and other objects. The foremost proponent of these charming folk art pieces was Jose Honorato Lozano. 

Simpler letter art involved embellishing individual letters with design elements like floral motifs, just like this example, thus creating a new font style that is at once pleasing and beautiful. This, actually, is a memorial piece--bearing the name of the dear departed. Underneath Victorino's name are pencilled inscriptions--indicating that this was unfinished: "Namatay ng icadalauampo ng Octubre ng taong isang libo ualong daan at ualong po at lima" (Died on the 20th of October in the year 1885). This work certainly was done after 1885, maybe a few months or so after the departure of Victorino from this mortal world.

231. God Wave The Queen: SOLAR QUEEN LIZ

2012 marked Queen Elizabeth of England’s Diamond Jubilee Year and as a tribute, this limited edition ‘Solar Queen’was created by Kikkerland Design of USA and Canada—made in good ol’China, of course.

My sis, who vaguely appreciates my bizarre hobby, sent this animated doll to me from her New Zealand home base. How does it work?

Well, just place the Solar Queen in the sunlight and watch Her Majesty wave with a subtle twist of the wrist. This gesture, cultivated over the centuries, is the true mark of royalty. The solar panel on her handbag is her power supply, so she never needs batteries—which means she may just wave forever!

215. Viva Mexico! A MEXICAN BOY DOLL

This cute, little composition Mexican chap I scored recently in Cubao--at Grand Thrift Shop, where else? That funky nook in Cubao Expo that has everything that mother threw away. I thought I'd found a Cisco Kid doll, a 50s TV series about a Mexican cowboy hero. I have that doll which looks exactly like this one--same height, same material, with the same drawn-on mustache--but the Cisco Kid doll was dressed in all-black, including his hat. A quick ebay search revealed that what I have is a generic Mexican souvenir doll depicting a Mexican cowboy. There is a Mexican girl version of this, and they were meant to be sold as a pair. Wish I have that too, but for now, this little hombre will do.

For an 8 inch tall doll, this Mejicano is quite detailed and well-made--right down to his holster with metal bullets! His gun is missing though, and his face shows a bit of crazing I have since cleaned it, washed its clothes and straw hat, plus repaired the chopped-off left foot with epoxy clay. When I first saw this, it was kept inside a large glass jar--which I also kept. These dolls were made for a long time--from the 1930s thru the 60s, and this example probably dates from the mid century. There are other variations of this doll depicting mariachis, vaqueros, dark-skinned bandidos--but all made from a similar mold. They are priced from $9.99 to $60 for a pair--less than what I paid for this doll, but at least I didn't have to go to Mexico to get this souvenir!