ANTIQUE GERMAN PORCELAIN FIGURAL TAPE MEASURE LITTLE BALLERINA with WREATH

Description

An antique German porcelain figural tape measure measuring approximately 3 7/8" tall. Faintly impressed Germany above the number 15210 on the back as pictured in photo 2. A little ballerina with a wreath standing on her toes on a block base. The tape pulls out at the side of the base and the bottom has the original plaster used to set the measuring tape mechanism inside. You can see some of the metal measure through the plaster.
Please note...The ballerina has firing lines from the making at her waist, please see photos 3 &4. This is not post production damage. It's separation of the glaze that happened in the high heat of the kiln and was fired solid in place. The porcelain has been tested with acetone and there are no repairs.
The tape measure has good retractable quality and I have pulled it out as far as 18 inches and it has rolled back up well and strongly with the working spring inside. It may go further but I didn't want to pull too far. One side is inches and the other is centimeters. There's some fraying on the tape, especially near the end with the metal tab and loop which have some rust and there's some small rust on the tape there, too. Still I believe it's all original with fraying and
thin areas but
no repairs to the tape. Occasionally tiny specks of paint on the cloth measure may flake off and some of the numbers on the inches side are worn at the bottom, please see picture 9 for all that.
The
porcelain
has some glaze
skips near the bottom edge, a few tiny dimples and depressions and some random dots and smudges of paint from the making. There is a smudge of green paint on her arm, shown in the last photo.
Otherwise good antique condition. No other damage or repairs.
Please view all the photos as part of the description.
Please pay within 2 days of the end of the auction.
A handling fee is included in the shipping to partially cover the cost of packing and insurance. I pay the balance of packing and insurance costs.
All my items come from local Chicago estate sales and are pre-owned, vintage or antique. All will show appropriate wear for their age.