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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Antique RARE! Original DEVIL HALLOWEEN LANTERN Heavy Paper Mache Flocked

I don't know what to make of this. Admittedly, I don't spend a lot of time collecting lanterns as I much prefer other genres, but I've never seen something like this. It looks like the reverse is a typical JOL with the typical coloration, but the front is a flocked (!?) devil face. From a proportionality perspective, it looks right. The modeling of the features doesn't ring alarm bells. However, having never seen something like this after going on 30 years of collecting, and with the plethora of fakes and fantasy pieces polluting the hobby, I am deeply suspicious. I am keeping in mind that the fakers have gotten better year after year, so I can't shake the suspicion that something is wrong here. Comments? 

I've received some comments. Thanks for taking the time for the replies, R, J and J!

Took a look at that devil lantern on ebay. It almost looks like someone got creative with an original JOL and sculpted a devil face over it with paper clay? The flocking was used to try and even out the texture. Those horns wouldn't be part of the casting. They would create undercuts in the mold. Where the red meets the orange on the base I wish we could see the chin a bit better. Not my area of expertise but if I were going to add a face that is how I would do it. The nostrils were indented with a tool of some kind. My assumption is someone made the alteration on the lantern in the past but how long ago is the question.

I agree with you on the flocked devil head on eBay. Something is just not right with it. It almost looks like the took a JOL and added the front to it. I passed on it.

Checked in with the blog tonight and am responding to your "Comments?" question about the devil lantern. On the one hand, the combination of orange and red seems odd to me. I'd think it'd be one or the other rather than a fusion of pumpkin and devil. On the other hand, at least some of the wear on it looks reasonable. I'd prefer to see more pictures or examine the thing in person to get a better impression. The wear patterns tend to tell me a lot about antiques, but pictures don't always make it easy for me to assess them. What messes with my head about it is that in some respects it feels to me like it could be right. What goes beyond that messing with my head to a whole additional level, though, is that if it is a fantasy piece, it reflects a much higher degree of aesthetics and competence than what I'm used to seeing. Art crime and forgery is one of my general areas of interest. An early area of improvement to art forgery (going back at least a century or two for "fine art") is to intentionally damage rather than simply age pieces by staining them.

08/29: Here's another comment that I endorse. Thanks JS! 

I'd like to comment about the mysterious devil head lantern. I found this object puzzling because it looks like a fantasy piece but also shows seemingly accurate signs of age and wear. After viewing the pictures in the original listing, my theory is that the devil features were added to an original vintage pumpkin lantern sometime in the past. The backside looks just like a vintage pumpkin lantern in color & sculpting. I think in the distant past someone got creative with this piece and added a chin, nose, and horns to make this pumpkin into a devil. That might explain why only the front is flocked red while the backside was left untreated, & the seams left sloppily unfinished. This theory could explain the appropriate signs of age, and the incomplete insert. I imagine a forger in current times would not leave an otherwise convincing piece unfinished in the back and at the seams if the intention was to deceive. Thanks for alerting us to this interesting listing!

08/30 Here's a contrary opinion. Thanks SA!

Just a few more comments on the flocked devil lantern, if I may: Many figural Halloween lanterns from the German composition era through the American pulp era have had humanoid or cat faces on the front and a pumpkin-type ribbed back. So, that in itself is not unusual, albeit that with this piece the transition from devil to pumpkin is more abrupt than most. No doubt the German craftspersons producing holiday goods sometimes mixed, matched, restyled, and repurposed design elements and spare parts over time, and created end-of-day pieces besides. Without benefit of close inspection, I'd say the devil face is original to the time of manufacture. The craftsperson may have with a generic compo pumpkin and grafted on the devil face, or used a generic pumpkin mold for the backside of the lantern coupled with a devil face mold for the front side.
As always, a close inspection could change my mind, but this lantern it strikes me as quite plausible. If an ordinary compo pumpkin was used as the foundation for the lantern, I think it was done when originally manufactured. Otherwise, it, it would have to be a recent fake of exceptional skill--the old flocking would be very hard to reproduce, I would think. Nobody was bothering to fake old Halloween stuff until the last couple decades--it simply wouldn't have been worth someone's time prior to the 1980s.
 

This questionable item sold for $515.00! 

Vtg 1920s German Halloween Jointed Skeleton Die Cut Pressed Paper Embossed VG+

Given how hot German diecut skeletons have been lately, I feel this is worthy of being scooped up immediately. The photos show a skeleton in better condition than stated by the seller. For $150 and free shipping, if you don't already own this smallest of the three manufactured sizes, buy it now. 

08/24 Within minutes of this post, a faithful reader scooped up this great item at a reasonable price - reasonable given how hot this sub-genre has been of late. 

Rare Halloween Paper Mechanical Decoration "Sacred Be Ye Fire O Halloween"

This early mechanical was made in the United States by an unidentified firm with an interestingly distinctive design aesthetic. This witch at cauldron mechanical was one of a set of four made between 1910-1917. The seller states he/she has seen an example with an extant cat's tail. I have seen many of this design and have never seen one fully intact. The condition issues identified as pertaining to this example are precisely those most commonly seen. All in all, the buyer got a helluva bargain, scooping this up for $199.95, when the sustainable guide value is more than double that. I think placing such high opening prices deters activity, something that more sellers should take into account when deciding to sell on eBay, using an auction format. The more successful sellers of vintage Halloween items start their auctions at $9.99 or less and typically get very solid results. If you'd like to see the others comprising this set, please see page 284. 

Vintage Lot of PAPER MACHE JACK-O-LANTERN PUMPKINS, CAT, OWL Halloween Decor

As of this writing, this lot has received a bid for the opening price of $75. The seller is lucky to get this considering that the lot is composed of two vintage items and two new items. The vintage items, the owl and the middle JOL, are both quite damaged. The others items comprising the lot are obvious decorative items possessing zero vintage value. Frankly, I don't feel the lot is even worth the postage the seller states is required: $31.80! 

One Vintage Halloween 1930s WITCH, BAT, BLACK CAT lantern FULL MOON, BLUE SKY

This 1930s Beistle lantern has long been a favorite of mine. Whether that is because it is somewhat of a departure from their design aesthetic norm or simply that is was one of my first lanterns I don't know! What I do know is that I appreciate this seller's no nonsense description. It is simple, has excellent photos, is complete with necessary information - including that the bottom is not original - and is free of the annoying GIFs and other affectations plaguing so many eBay listings. 

"SCARCE 1920'S HALLOWEEN GERMAN JOINTED SKELETON 27" DIECUT-3 SIZES MADE N MINT

I am glad that the seller, goofus999, long on my list of those with whom I like doing business, received such a sky-high price for this diecut. As in nearly all such instances, the wholly unsustainable ending price was a result of two bidders only. Look at the bidding history. Without the intervention of a bidder who seems to bid high prices across a wide spectrum of goods, this diecut would have ended near the sustainable guide price of $150. Bidders, do your homework. Know the "Relative Scarcity Index number" or RSIN of the items you are interested in obtaining. The RSIN for this, the most common of the three German articulated skeleton diecuts, is 3. This means you will likely see examples for sale several times or more in a season. If you want to bid high, do so on those items with an RSIN of 1 or maybe 2. 

J. Chein Halloween Tambourine (tamborine) Halloween Party Scene!!!

These tin litho tambourines are common enough that they should be purchased for inclusion into a serious collection only if they are in stellar condition. (The percentage of such tin litho items is quite small, heightening your chance of price appreciation if your collecting interests change and you decide to deaccession it.) This particular example of a classic Chein scene appears to be in eminently collectible condition. The BIN price is a tad high, but submit an offer for $250. That should be accepted. 

08/17 Update: A reader let me know she followed my advice and is now the proud owner of this super tambourine! 

An Excellent Supposition!

One of my most stalwart of readers wrote me just now to posit this idea: 

"I very much enjoyed your readers' comments regarding the laughing doughnut decoration. It is sometimes difficult to know what influences a particular design. I have sometimes wondered if the Beistle Halloween decorations that feature fairies were influenced by the Cottingley fairy hoax. Although the photographs allegedly showing real fairies in a garden were taken by two young English girls in 1917, they received quite a bit of publicity in this country after Arthur Conan Doyle published them in 1920. Of course, there may have already been an interest in fairies that impacted both the Cottingley girls and the Beistle artists.
Cindy R."

I think Cindy R. is on to something! Thanks so much!!

GERMAN HALLOWEEN MINI-DIECUT~1930'S~WITCH COOKS IN CAULDRON~4.25"

This is a true variant to the design that one sees occasionally. The set to which this mini-diecut belongs is one of the most desirable around. (See the set on page 185.) Each of its members typically fetch between $200-$300, as did the cat and JOL design offered by this same great seller. What differentiates this is the reverse coloring and the additional embossed stars on the witch's cloak that are not present in the more-commonly seen design. I attempted to obtain this for the collection by putting in what I thought was an aggressive bid of $500, but was outbid by a wide margin. Even given the very high price paid for this item, I have to offer a hearty congrats to the prevailing bidder, whomever it is. 

Vintage Halloween Noisemakers T Cohn Kirchhof US Metal Toy

The star of this great lot is the clanger with the green stripe made by T. Cohn during the 1950s. Although the RSIN is a solid 3, it did take me a surprisingly long time to find an example in good enough condition to be in the collection. The one in this lot looks mighty good. You can't beat the seller, either. He is a newish collector who prizes knowledge and is about the most foursquare and honest person I've met in a while. Bid with total confidence.