Posted 8 years ago
Peytonleat…
(40 items)
Bronze painted figurine on granite base any info would be appreciated
She is an elf reading a book her face is possibly ivory
Fairy bronze figurine | ||
| Figurines1665 of 3870 |  |  |
Fairy bronze figurine | ||
| Figurines1665 of 3870 | | |
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Posted 8 years ago
Peytonleat…
(40 items)
Bronze painted figurine on granite base any info would be appreciated
She is an elf reading a book her face is possibly ivory
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She looks like a PIXIE to me....aka Elf type. Might want to see if anything more comes up under that term. PHIL here might be able to help you as it is very very knowledgeable
Great Piece !!
Although you will commonly see these referred to as a figure called "The Reader" by Gerda Iro Gerdago, it is actually a figure by Henri Fugere. It is my understanding that it is pictured in the Encyclopedia of Bronzes, a set of 4 volumes by Peter Berman. Many of these figures were produced by the JB Hirsch company. Apparently Berman worked closely with JB Hirsch, who verified this form being a work by Fugere.
The face is most likely Ivorene, or a plastic also referred to by some as Plascon. It is a form of celluloid. Ivorene was a much "fancier" promotional name for it. :-)
Great piece. We have a lamp with the same figure. Yours is likely one half of a set of bookends....
Henri Fugere is the correct attribution which I have been trying for years to attribute these figures to, thanks welsebub for the pick up. The faces can be the ivorine ones {plastic} or they are made entirely of metal and cast with figure. Possibly this face is metal, hence the unpainted eyes and lips. The H. B. Hirsch Company who owned the original molds dug up in France after the war, attrib these to H. Fugere and that info was given to the author of Ency. of Bronzes 1800 to 1930. Peter Berman the author of the book worked closely with the Hirsch Foundry and was very supportive of their classic old lamps and statues, making superb copies at the time of the mid 70's. This version you have is could be later 70's to 1980 and they used metallic blue, red, and gold paint on these normally, but yours has a paint job I am unfamiliar with. Also to note, the metal faces on this one were usually hand painted with bolder paints and design using black paint. As to yours I have never seen the painting like this ever !! It may be original but needs someone to examine this. The fact that yours is on a marble base may be a great thing, as the ones that are more similar are on the later metal ones. They usually were bought as a pair, I even have one set that have the label on the bottom of the store they came from, Burrows in Cleveland with a price of 13.50 a pair. I have a picture of the page 1174 in the book they are attributed in, called Contemplar from circa 1927 when the french ones originally came out. I will print the scan from the books by Peter Berman on my next post.
Also to note they reproduced these figures in the 1990's and those seem to be more elongated arms and legs figures which sometimes have a Lorenzel signature engraved heavily into her right leg which extends furthur. That is false, along with other attributions I have seen by misinformed people. Also seen sets that were marked Tiffany, so they sold these thru tiffanys??, though that information probably is entirely false, but one never knows !! A lot of the ones you find have been used with neglect, hence there were many that have been painted over.
Thank You so much for the info I looked for a signature but couldn't find one.
OK, now looking at it I am pretty sure it is a more modern reproduction. The hat is not the correct shape for the Hirsch Foundry, and does not have the correct detailing. Some of the detail of her chest costume looks to be missing. Also the marble is not the correct shape. Hirsch never used this shape of marble, although the marble is beautiful ! Overall this is better than some repros out there, and it is beautiful so still a nice piece to find. Usually since it is a bookend its nice to find a pair, but the ones nowadays are sold each.