Schafer & Vater figural automobile bottle - "PUFF PUFF" Start Price USD 29.99 Current Price USD 1,580.00 Time Left - Bid Count 22 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, September 01, 2008 End Time Monday, September 08, 2008 Location Marblehead, MA See more about 'Schafer & Vater figural automobile bottle - "PUFF PUFF"' Description  SCHAFER & VATER NOVELTY FLASK"PUFF-PUFF" -- Snappy Driver in a Snappy Roadster Convertible"Schafer and Vater are famous for the hard paste porcelain items they began manufacturing in Thuringia, Germany in 1890. Their flasks, figurines and figural bottles were so popular that by 1910 items made by this factory were picked up and listed in the Sears & Roebuck Catalog that had such widespread distribution across America in that time period. The "giveaway" bottles and flasks were all imported empty and then filled and given away as gifts by bars, liquor stores, at dances, by organizations, just to name a few sources.  Many were ordered as holiday gifts or advertising gimmicks and the manufacturer impressed or stamped the name of the business or group on the items before shipping.  Others used paper labels applied in the U.S. They were so popular because they were artfully made, full of both lovely and humorous details.  Because these items were so unique and interesting, they had broad appeal.  The figural liquor bottles were designed to make cocktail time a "good time"  As is understandable, they were most popular in the United States in the 1920's.This flask is called "PUFF-PUFF" because those are the words that are incised on the brown side of the bottle.  The front is in full color, with our dapper driver motoring along in his black convertible roadster.  He's dressed in a tan plaid suit with matching driving cap.  He sports a pair of goggles, de rigueur in those early days of driving, and a jaunty white scarf trailing in the breeze. The convertible top of the car is clearly folded back behind the driver.  Notice the running boards and bumpers and the black spokes on the gray tires.  The ground he is traversing actually is done in a pattern which looks more like waves than roadway, but I think it adds to the overall appeal of the piece.  A yellow piece protrudes from the front of the car, simulating the beam of a headlight perhaps.  At its end is the cap of the flask made of brown porcelain with a cork attached which fits into the opening. The reverse side which bears the name of the flask is all light brown and white, with the color looking darker where it settled in the incised details. All the details shown on the front of the driver are indicated in the solid color on the back.  You can still see his goggles, his ear and sideburn(s) and smile and his rather large nose!  The rest of the back including the letters is done in a lovely scroll-like manner. The bottle measures 5 3/4" long, almost 3" high and is about 1" deep at its widest point. The bottom of the flask is white bisque.  Although it is not marked "Made in Germany," there is a portion of the crown and circle mark of the company visible, incised into the bisque.  The flask is undamaged with no chips, crazing or cracks that I can see.  Please feel free to email me any questions you might have and also look for the other Schafer & Vater items and other porcelain bottles I have up for auction.  I am not an expert in this field, but I will do my best to answer any questions you may have.Thank you very much for your interest. Place a Bid!