Vintage 40's Rare German Busch MAX & MORITZ comic halloween costume Rubber MASK - $50 - (Bisbee, AZ)
Up for auction is this mask collector's delight: an authentic vintage joyful and charming character mask depicting "Moritz" of the renowned German bad-boy duo of "Max and Moritz". We believe this was made in the late 30's/ early 40s, when latex rubber mask making was just getting started. See more context for these characters in the paragraph below. We love that turned-up nose and devilish grin, not to mention Moritz's orange hairdo complete with central spike on top! Condition is good for an item some 70+ years old; a subtle and careful cleaning may be in order; we did not want to attempt this as we are not professionals. The latex rubber is still in very good pliable condition and not hard or cracked- a big plus in an item of this age. No tears or rips. It is interesting to see the pour marks from the inside. We do not know if the cord is original, but it came with it when we discovered it. These early masks were poured quite thinly and do not hold their shape on their own- they tend to fold up slightly. When it came to us there was a rudimentary paper shape inside that allowed it to be hung on the wall for display; we'll incule this when shipping. Please see our photos. This mask may be a bit smaller than adult although it could still stretch a bit to fit a small adult head too. See measurements below. There are eye holes cut out, a short between-the-lips slice, and tiny nose slits (safety wasn't as much of a priority then I guess). As far as imperfections go, there is a run of black paint from one eye opening. At what stage this may have happened is anyone's guess. Paint is peeling in a few places such as the orange-red hair, but we don't think this deters from the charm or collectibility of this wonderful early mask depicting one boy of this iconic German character series of stories that folks say was the inspiration for the first cartoon comic strips. A collectible like this (in the genre of both latex masks *and* early German storybook) is hard to come by!…
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From ebay.com - 1 month ago