Antique Miniature Bisque Porcelain Figure by Schafer & Vater. Set Onto a Quirky Ashtray Entitled "The Old Pal"

This is another of my very rare Schafer & Vater antique smoking-related collectables. They are all very rare and hard to source and are special items for the specialist collector of these cute little German bisque figures.

This little model shows a little gentleman wearing a long black habit and black cap. He has long grey side-whiskers. I think that he is meant to represent a Rabbi. He takes the form of an ashtray - and you would flick your ash into the aperture in his back, as photographed. 

Again, this is a rare Schafer & Vater model. 

My figurine is in good vintage condition - with no chips or damages.

These antique pieces of German smoking paraphernalia are now hard to find, and I have never seen another one like this. It is lovely and displays very well.

HISTORY: The company was founded by a Gustave Schaefer and Guenther Vater in Germany in 1890. By 1896 the business was so successful that they were able to expand to the List Porcelain Factory at Neuhaus.

The company aimed at producing high-quality items in hard-paste porcelain - and it made luxury items, including figurines and dolls' heads. They also produced a range of soft-paste porcelain items such as small liquor bottle which were distributed in pubs etc.

Schafer & Vater were better known for their comical and figural items. They manufactured these in teapots, jugs, creamers, bottles, match strikers, and planters, with a backstamp impressed with a crown above an 'R' in a star. 'Made in Germany' was sometimes stamped in black. Occasionally, Schafer & Vater pieces appear without any stamps or reference to their origin, but they are easy to recognise due to their characteristics and unique craftsmanship and unusual design.

Their wonderful novelty figures were always very popular in the States - and by 1910 the American firm of Sears Roebuck & Co began to import and distribute Schafer & Vater pottery items.

In 1913 Paul Schafer had taken over from his father and, working alongside Gunther Vater, built up a successful workforce of around 200 people. In 1918 the factory was destroyed by fire and they set up a new factory to resume production.

Sadly, the firm closed in 1962 and in1972 the East German government assumed full control of the vacant factory and their records and moulds were destroyed - so no further figures could be produced.