Mid 20th Century Art Deco France Pair of Metal Bookends Featuring Dogs With a Fine Marble Base

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We kindly invite you to read the full description, as it includes detailed technical and historical information to ensure the … Read more We kindly invite you to read the full description, as it includes detailed technical and historical information to ensure the authenticity of our items.
This elegant and original pair of Art Deco-style bookends features dogs as the central motif. Crafted between 1925 and 1927 in an artisanal workshop in Saint-Ouen, a charming suburb of Paris (France), these pieces are a unique example of skilled craftsmanship. Inspired by the Golden Retriever breed, master artisans created the dog figures using a sophisticated casting process with a metal alloy, which they then meticulously refined by hand. The result is a strong and proud appearance that highlights their ability to mold metal into artistic masterpieces. Additionally, the artisans subjected the dog figures to a complex and delicate treatment using special, secret acids to achieve elegant dark bronze hues. The rectangular base of the bookends is crafted from Giallo Siena marble, a natural stone native to the hills of Siena, renowned for its beauty and uniqueness. This marble, highly valued since antiquity for luxurious finishes, decorative objects, and jewelry, stands out for its metamorphic sedimentary rock origins, which give it its distinctive coloration and ensure that each slab is truly one of a kind. The combination of refined craftsmanship and high-quality materials makes these bookends exclusive and highly aesthetic objects. The two small sculptures can also be displayed individually as decorative pieces. A brief history of the Golden Retriever breed: It is believed that the breed was founded by Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, also known as Lord Tweedmouth. In 1865, he purchased a yellow-coated dog named Nous in Brighton (England) and bred it with a female descended from a black Wavy-Coated Retriever and a liver-colored Tweed Water Spaniel. Their yellow-coated offspring were later bred with Bloodhounds, Irish Setters (Red Setters), and Labradors, with the aim of enhancing their scenting abilities and improving their physical structure. This breeding program ultimately produced the Golden Retriever, which was initially known as the Golden Flatcoat until 1913. The bookends are in good overall condition. However, the base has a velvet-covered cardboard backing that has slightly deteriorated over time (as shown in the photos).
Dimensions:
• Length: 15 cm (5.9 inches)
• Depth: 8 cm (3.1 inches)
• Height: 12 cm (4.7 inches)
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