Judith Miller on Art Deco statues

An Art Deco statue will create a glamorous feel in a period home.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the demand for decorative small-scale sculptures that had flourished from the second half of the 19th century in Europe continued. Most were cast in bronze with ivory components, or cast in bronze, which was often gilded, silvered, or hand painted; or they were made from an expensive amalgam of bronze and ivory (called chryselephantine); they tended to stand on top of a marble or onyx base.

Self possessed and stylish women with elegant, elongated limbs were the favourite subjects of Art Deco sculptors from Paris to Berlin. They were commonly portrayed either as naked or scantily clad erotic fantasies, bold and muscular Amazons, or sensuous young ladies engaged in Jazz Age pursuits such as dancing, bathing or athletics. In addition, children, characters from classical mythology or distant lands and sleek animal sculptures were also popular.

ABOVE (left to right): Gilt bronze naked dancer on onyx base, £500-£600; Spelter leaning figure with onyx base, £100-£150.

Names of artists to look out for include: French sculptors Max Le Verrier, Pierre Le Faguays (aka Fayral) and Joe Descomps; Germans Paul Philippe and Ferdinand Preiss; Austrians Gerda Iro Gerdago and Josef Lorenzl; and Romanian born Demetre Chiparus.

Statuettes – which were made from moulded plastic and ‘spelter’ (a lightweight metal alloy) – were produced during the Art Deco period to imitate the pricier examples mentioned above. Spelter is composed mostly of zinc (combined with lead or aluminium) and was popular from the late 19th century; it is very malleable so was perfect for casting figures. It is also brittle, so watch out for cracks. The better examples of statues will have a lively pose, a sense of movement in the body and/or clothing, and other details such as jewellery. Paint was applied using a spray gun, however, so such examples will not be as fine as hand-painted pieces.

ABOVE (left to right): Spelter figure with cigar lighter on onyx base, £50-£70; Spelter figure wearing flower-like skirt, on marble base, £80-£120.

Tips for collectors:

• Spelter is identifiable by scratching the surface to reveal a silver colour instead of bronze.
• Spelter is also lighter in weight than bronze. The original ivory is typically replaced with ivorycoloured plastic from the 1930s onwards, so look closely for the characteristic veins in ivory.
• Spelter pieces can be found for £30-£200 and offer the look of expensive figurines at lower prices (bronze and ivory statues can cost up to £30,000).
• However, the detail is not so fine as the items they were designed to imitate, and examples are frequently damaged or stained.
• If buying a named bronze statue, further research is vital: these stylised figures, produced at wellestablished foundries, are widely faked – often made in spelter and stamped with a forged signature.
• Buy original pieces from hickmet.com or auctions.

FEATURE JUDITH MILLER PHOTOGRAPHS CLASSIC AUTOMOBILIA & REGALIA SPECIALISTS; GARDINER HOULGATE
Featured in the July 2010 issue of Period Living

Buy Judith Miller’s Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2012-2013