Pair of French Art Deco bookends in commercial zinc and marble, 1930s. This original and rare pair of bookends depicts two seals in the classic pose of balancing a ball on their noses, placed on a Giallo Siena marble base. The design is essential, with decisive and marked lines, overall pleasantly elegant and proportionate. The pair was produced with sophisticated commercial zinc casting in an artisan workshop in Saint-Ouen, a quaint suburb of Paris, France, between 1930 and 1935. Master craftsmen then finish the items by hand to give them a graceful shape and subject them to a delicate and complex treatment with special and secret acids to give them elegant bronze shades. Furthermore, to accurately depict the cute faces of the seals, they used enamel paints for the eyes. The artisans managed to infuse their artistic sensitivity into the metal, creating two unique and fantastic objects. The animals were then positioned on two rectangular bases of Giallo Siena marble. This marble is a natural stone, typical of the Sienese mountains in Italy, and is one of the most famous and beautiful colored marbles in the country, appreciated since ancient times for important coverings and for the creation of decorative objects and jewelry. The Siena hills are composed of metamorphic sedimentary rocks formed over the millennia due to the movements of the earth's crust, giving Giallo Siena its main peculiarity: each slab can undoubtedly be considered a unique piece. Commercial zinc (Spelter) is a metal alloy composed of copper, zinc and lead, which can be finished in all shades of bronze. Since 1860 it has been used for the production of candlesticks, watch cases and lamps. At the beginning of the 20th century, many sculptors, such as Jacques Limousin, made extensive use of it in the production of Art Nouveau and Art Deco ornaments and statuettes. The combination of refined workmanship and the preciousness of the materials makes these bookends unique and exclusive.
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SILVER Seller in Prato, Italy
