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Unusual “props”
Ceramic Japanese bridal couple by Hakata Urasaki, from are the hallmarks of these toppers.
just before World War II. Groom, 7-1/2” h. $50-$75/pr. Left: “Sailing to Happiness,” German, 1920s. The wedding couple
is bisque, the sailboat gum paste. Groom, 3-1/2” h. $375-$400.
Center: “Sailor’s Valentine” gondola encased in sand and shells,
Center: Two World War II-era toppers, with the grooms in military attire. The smaller couple is with chalkware couple under a shell canopy, 1940s. Groom, 4” h.
saltstone, and the larger is chalkware. A highlight of the larger couple is the bride’s “crown,” $150-175. Right: A silk and satin airplane, complete with pro-
piled high with pearls (and stabilized by an invisible string). Grooms, 3" h.; 6" h. $35-$50; $150-$175.
peller, hovers over a 1930s bisque couple. Groom, 4” h. $475-$500.

happy duo in twinkling lights. Wedding pairs struck their poses in cars, the numerous themed top-
coaches, Fabergé-styled eggs, gondolas, and even hot air balloons. They pers: Barbie and Ken;
found themselves framed in arbors and gazebos and stood their ground Precious Moments; Mickey
amidst such unlikely accessories as airplanes, sailboats, “Good Luck” and Minnie Mouse (along
horseshoes, and oversize Cinderella slippers. Some even pulled with a variety of other
double-duty, serving as salt-and-peppers. humanized animals); and
Religious diversity was celebrated by toppers that came complete even Marge and Homer
with their own Rabbis, priests, or ministers (accompanied by such job Simpson.
prerequisites as canopies and altars). Ethnic diversity took a bit longer: Among the most popular
early toppers were simply identical figurines with different skin tones. early specialty toppers were
Eventually, toppers more accurately depicted a range of ethnicities, “Kewpies,” based on the
their costuming celebrating a wide range of heritages. Rose O’Neill illustrations
introduced in the December
Rose O’Neill bisque “Kewpie Doll” couple, 1909 Ladies’ Home Journal.
1920s. The figures are dressed in crepe paper These wide-eyed, blue-
and silk and are standing in crepe paper nut winged cherubs (along with
cups. Groom, 4-1/2” h. $475-$500/pr. their close competitors, the
non-winged “Googlies”)
found themselves adapted to
a variety of uses, including cake-posing.
“Novelty” toppers inclu-ded the celebrity-influenced, from the
respectful (doe-eyed brides attired ala Jacqueline Kennedy or Grace
Kelly) to the uncomfortably eerie (“Elvis” grooms and “Marilyn”
brides). Good for a bridal party chuckle (and sure to annoy the bride’s
mother), were intentionally comic toppers: forceful brides dragging
reluctant grooms to the altar, or “Shotgun Wedding” pairs, (although
these were usually saved for 25th-anniversary celebrations).

Something Blue? Toppers Today
Weddings are the most joyous of occasions, so what’s there to be
blue about? Well, cake topper condition has left more than one
collector teary-eyed. These pieces were really designed for a single brief
turn in the wedding day sun, rather than for longevity. Nowadays,
Jewish and Catholic-themed cake toppers, in traditional religious settings, finding a topper of almost any type in mint condition can present a
with a Rabbi and priest as the celebrants. Early 1950s. major challenge.
Grooms, 4-1/2” h; 4” h. $50-$75 per topper. Paste toppers of the early 1900s, for instance, were hardly intended
to withstand the ravages of bugs, water, heat, and humidity for over
In the military? Grooms (and sometimes, brides) could be found 100 years, no matter how carefully stored. We’re talking food items
attired in the appropriate uniforms. Occupational figurines included here. Really old food items.
firefighters and police officers. Athletic brides could opt for tennis- Other toppers of porous material, if stored with a chunk of wedding
skirted stand-ins. And, for the grooviest gals of the 1960s and ‘70s, cake, have almost always been discolored or eaten away by contact with
Coast Novelty offered a bride decked out in either a traditional sugary icing. Ceramic crazes. Celluloid cracks. Crepe paper crumples.
floor-length gown – or a mini-skirt. Taking originality one step further, The best way of transforming those cake toppers collecting blues
Coast provided “customized hair”: the bride came with a rubber wig, in into bright blue skies is to accept the toppers “as found,” making only
a choice of color and cut. (Since the wigs were removable, the possibility the most minimal, non-invasive repairs. If more extensive fixups are
of a bald bride, thanks to a tipsy reception prankster, was always an desired, trust your topper to the hands of an expert skilled in doll
unsettling possibility.) restoration. That way, you’ll avoid the fate of the collector who tried
“Specialty” toppers represented, it’s assumed, specific collecting to remove stains from a chalkware topper, with water. The stains
interests dear to the heart of the bride-to-be (or her intended). Among disappeared. So did much of the chalk.

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