Early 20th Century Pair of Art Déco Bronze Bookends With Marble Base Designed by Alexandre Kéléty for Etling Paris

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Pair of Art Déco bronze bookends with marble base designed by Alexandre Kéléty for Etling Paris

By: Alexandre Kéléty, Etling … Read more Pair of Art Déco bronze bookends with marble base designed by Alexandre Kéléty for Etling Paris

By: Alexandre Kéléty, Etling Paris
Material: bronze, marble, metal, copper
Technique: cast, polished, patinated, metalwork, molded
Dimesions: 3.5 in x 6 in x 9 in
Date: early 20th century, interwar period
Style: Art Déco
Place of origin: France

A pair of hefty bookends fashioned from gilt patinated bronze, portraying a recumbent boy and girl resting upon darkened marble plinths. The signature of Alexandre Kéléty alongside the stamp of the company Etling Paris may be distinguished on the base of both sculptures.

The hungarian-born sculptor Alexandre Kéléty emigrated to France after World War I. In Paris, he studied under painter Imre Simay and created Art Déco sculptures depicting animals, children, dancers, and mythological figures in diverse materials like bronze, ivory, marble, and ceramic. His works were produced and distributed by publisher Arthur Goldscheider and dealer Edmond Etling's design house. Kéléty incorporated the sleek Art Déco aesthetic into functional objects like electric lights, ashtrays, bookends and incense burners. Through prolific collaborations with Etling's firm during the interwar period, Kéléty contributed elegant and innovative decorative items in the prevalent Art Déco style. His imaginative, multifaceted œuvre reflects the modernist sensibilities and luxury craftsmanship that defined early 20th century French decorative arts.

Etling closed in 1940 during WW2. Edmond Etling and his family were transported to a concentration camp where they died. The company's entire output was in the Art Déco style of the interwar period. They are noted for innovative design and are highly desirable collector's items.

Expert restoration has been undertaken on the plinth below the female figure, owing to a damaged corner and fractured base. Such professional repairs have rendered these flaws barely discernible (see pictures). See less