In literature, the term “bisque” is often used to evoke the soft, delicate, and pale quality associated with fine porcelain. Writers tap into this imagery to describe characters or objects with a refined, almost ethereal beauty—for example, a “bisque doll complexion” suggests a smooth, porcelain-like delicacy and vulnerability ([1], [2]). The color is also invoked in representations of crafted figures and decorative items, as seen in references to bisque dolls and bisque patterns that underscore an antique or timeless elegance ([3], [4], [5], [6]). In these instances, "bisque" transcends its culinary origins, offering a hue that signifies both fragility and a subtle, luminous refinement.
- That bisque doll complexion of yours will stand any color.
— from Patty and Azalea by Carolyn Wells
- "I must have looked to Eva like a battered bisque doll—no wonder she couldn't place me!"
— from The Rose-Garden Husband by Margaret Widdemer
- Both girls looked as handsome in their way as the bisque dolls who [Pg 153] were splendid in Parisian toilets and a profusion of gleaming jewels.
— from Little Nobody by Miller, Alex. McVeigh, Mrs.
- She treated them as she might have a collection of bisque dolls.
— from Marjorie Dean Macy by Josephine Chase
- that's all right," said Miss Mink in a tone that she did not recognize as her own, "the matches are in that little bisque figure on the parlor mantel.
— from Miss Mink's Soldier and Other Stories by Alice Caldwell Hegan Rice
- Dressed Doll Nellie, 14 inches high, in full summer dress set off with lace and ribbons, hat, lace hose and leather shoes; bisque head, arms and legs.
— from The Pansy Magazine, November 1887 by Various