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SILVER Seller in Alpes-Maritimes, France
An elegant chryselephantine sculpture entitled Salammbô, also known as The Oriental Dancer, created circa 1920 and representing a characteristic example of European decorative sculpture from the Art Deco period. The composition embodies the legendary Carthaginian priestess Salammbô, inspired by Gustave Flaubert’s novel of the same name, which became an important source of Orientalist imagery in European art during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The figure depicts a young dancer captured at the culminating moment of her movement. The pronounced twist of the torso, the expressive positioning of the arms and the fluid silhouette form a dynamic composition reflecting the aesthetic principles of Art Deco, based on decorative refinement, rhythmic structure and elegant sculptural modelling. The sculpture is executed in the chryselephantine technique, combining gilt bronze and ivory. The smoothly polished ivory elements contrast skilfully with the warm, richly worked surface of the bronze, emphasising the quality of the materials and the refinement of the workmanship. Particular attention has been paid to the modelling of the figure, the treatment of the drapery and the detailed rendering of the costume’s decorative elements. The composition is distinguished by the high quality of its casting, finely chased surfaces and harmonious combination of materials, characteristic of accomplished European decorative bronzes from the first quarter of the twentieth century.
ID: 103387-1788904937-163455
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