c.1960s Kewpie Baby Powder Dispenser by JSNY, Hong Kong

This whimsical Kewpie-style powder dispenser is moulded in peach-toned hard plastic and modelled as a seated baby figure with clasped hands and painted facial features. The dispenser features moulded hair detailing, bright blue side-glancing eyes, and red painted lips. Powder was filled through the circular opening located in the base and dispensed through a series of small holes positioned across the top of the head. The figure retains its original black plastic screw cap insert to the underside.

The rear of the figure is marked “M. JSNY Hong Kong,” indicating manufacture in Hong Kong during the post-war export toy and novelty boom. Hong Kong became a major producer of affordable plastic novelty goods during the 1950s and 1960s, exporting a wide variety of nursery items, dolls, souvenirs, and household novelty products to Western markets. The styling clearly draws inspiration from the enormously popular Kewpie character originally created by illustrator Rose O’Neill in the early 20th century, whose cherubic baby figures remained commercially influential for decades.

Novelty powder dispensers such as this were commonly sold as nurseryaccessories or inexpensive giftware items. While functional, they were also highly decorative and often displayed on dressing tables or in children’s rooms. Examples surviving today are increasingly collected for their mid-century nursery aesthetic, kitsch appeal, and association with early plastic novelty manufacturing.

Features

Measurements: 140mm x 90mm x 80mm wide

Condition: Excellent

Markings: M. JSNY Hong Kong

Date Note: Date is an estimate based on available research and stylistic features. If you have additional information, please contact us to help update our records.

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