Vintage Plaster Mannequin Head, 1950s

He has seen seven decades of shop windows, and he still holds your gaze. This **vintage mannequin head** from the 1950s is moulded in plaster and entirely hand-painted: pale blue eyes, blushed cheeks, and neatly combed blonde hair rendered in soft airbrushed tones.

Display heads like this stood in hat shops and department stores across Germany in the post-war years, modelling the latest styles. Most were discarded when fashions changed; the survivors have become sought-after collector's items, prized for the quiet, slightly mysterious presence only hand-painted faces from this era have.

The modelling is unusually fine — look at the ears, the jawline, the subtle asymmetry of the mouth that makes him feel human rather than manufactured. On a console, a stack of books or a workshop shelf, he turns any corner into a still life.

The original painted finish shows light wear consistent with age, exactly the honest patina that gives a piece like this its character.

This piece has found a new home. Browse our collection for pieces that are still available — or get in touch, because special objects like this pass through VINTZ regularly.