3 Bisque Cowboy Figures

THREE SMALL PAINTED BISQUE WESTERN FIGURINES - STANDING COWBOY BOY, RIDER ON HORSE, AND SEATED CHILD MARKED JAPAN Three small hand-painted bisque porcelain figures with a western theme. The largest is a standing boy dressed as a cowboy in a white shirt, orange-brown vest and chaps, wide brown belt, red-pink neckerchief, and yellow trousers with black boot toes, molded with a full sculpted face and painted brown eyes; the bottoms of the feet are flat and unglazed with no mark visible. The second is a rider on a standing brown-and-white horse, the rider in a green hat, blue and yellow shirt and red trousers, mounted on a shaped base painted cream with teal-green foliage. The third and smallest is a seated child in a red shirt with a yellow and blue object across the lap, and the underside of this piece is hand-lettered "JAPAN" beside a large open vent hole. Flaws are significant on the smallest figure, which has a broken, chipped front edge with a rough open loss and heavy paint wear and speckling throughout; the standing cowboy has scattered paint loss and white flecking on the belt, chaps, vest, and boots with light soiling in the recesses; the horse and rider show paint rubbing and small flakes to the horse's ears, muzzle, and hooves. UNTESTED for hidden restoration, and no maker is claimed for the two unmarked pieces. Sold as a lot of three figures. Description Standing cowboy boy: painted bisque, white shirt, orange-brown vest and chaps, yellow trousers, red-pink neckerchief, black boot toes, approximately 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 in tall per the tape-measure photographs Rider on horse: painted bisque, brown and white horse on a cream and teal foliage base, approximately 2 1/4 in tall by approximately 2 1/2 in long per the tape-measure photographs Seated child: painted bisque, red shirt, hollow with a large vent hole, approximately 1 1/2 in tall per the tape-measure photographs Construction/Finish: all three matte bisque porcelain with hand-applied enamel colors, hollow-cast where vented Marks: hand-lettered "JAPAN" on the underside of the seated child; no mark, number, or origin stamp is visible on the standing cowboy or on the horse and rider, so no maker is claimed for those two Size: as listed per piece above, per the tape-measure photographs Attribution note Small hand-painted bisque figurines of this type were produced in enormous volume in Japan for the American gift and dime-store trade, with the export period generally split by collectors into pre-war "Made in Japan" output, the 1945 to 1952 window when pieces were marked "Occupied Japan," and later postwar work marked simply "Japan." The hand-lettered "JAPAN" on the smallest piece is consistent with that broad Japanese export tradition, but a plain painted "Japan" mark does not by itself pin down a decade, and the two unmarked pieces cannot be dated or attributed at all from photographs. Western and cowboy subjects were a strong seller in this material through the middle of the twentieth century, and the three pieces here read as a shelf grouping rather than a matched set - the styling, scale, and painting palette differ from one to the next. Nothing is claimed as Occupied Japan, as a named maker, or as a matching set. All period, maker, and origin comments are offered as the consignor's photo-based opinion and are not guaranteed. Bid on the item(s) as pictured. Notes for bidders Bisque is unglazed and porous - do not wash, soak, or scrub any of these. Dust dry with a soft brush and keep water out of the vent hole on the seated figure, since trapped moisture will stain the interior and lift more paint. The applied enamel colors sit on the surface and come off easily, so avoid any cleaner, solvent, or abrasive pad. Handle the standing cowboy by the body rather than the arms, keep the broken edge on the small figure away from cloth that can catch on it, and store all three where they cannot knock together. Only the item(s) pictured are included in this lot. Terms Sold as-is, where-is, with no warranty expressed or implied. All sales final. Please ask any questions before bidding. Buyer is responsible for pickup or shipping arrangements per auction terms.