Antique Art Deco Chinese Man Woman Fruit Noodle Bowls Bookends J B Hirsch

Description: Antique Art Deco Chinese Man Woman Fruit Noodle Bowls Bookends J B Hirsch. Each measures about 8 1/2" tall; the bases are 3 3/4" square. The pair weighs 5 pounds together. Absolutely guaranteed made by J B Hirsch 1930 era, I have been collecting bookends for decades and know Hirsch particularly well. The bases are same size but slightly different with the lady base marble type and the man a black metallic type (they are a close match and the difference is rather insignificant); the man hands are a bit loose (these parts were cast separately so looseness is normal and common) and a I added some common adhesive to hold in place which can be instantly removed if desired; The original red polychrome paint has some age flaking mostly to the man which is also quite common. Overall good condition in my opinion and please check the many detailed photos. The J B Hirsch Foundry, established in 1907, often made zinc spelter bookends with celluloid parts known as ivorine or ivorene. The saga of the century‑old French moulds that went underground to escape World War II destruction reads more like a scenario for a motion picture thriller than a chapter in the history of art.It all began in Paris in the second half of the 19th Century. A group of highly talented artists, trained at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts, developed a distinctive style that epitomized the classical grandeur rooted in ancient Greece and Rome. French foundries began their now famous works in "French Bronze." Around the turn of the century the Beaux Art style was followed in popularity by the Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which were also cast in "French Bronze" by the same foundries.One of the customers for these "French Bronzes" was the New York Art Bronze Works, later to become J.B. Hirsch Co., founded in 1907 by Roumanian emigre Joseph B. Hirsch. Hirsch and a few employees worked in a factory on New York's Lower East Side, producing ash trays, bookends, electroliers, and the newel‑post lamps used at the foot of staircase bannisters in brownstone houses.During World War II the French foundries could make no more statues. To prevent their destruction, the moulds were buried under factory floors and house cellars, the parts scrambled to ensure they would not be exploited in the event they were discovered.Most French foundries did not resume business after peace was declared and the moulds remained buried. They might still be hidden if Abraham Hirsch had not heard of their existence. His trips to France to purchase the moulds turned into archaeological expeditions that yielded over two hundred subjects. From 1948 through 1963, through a combination of prior knowledge, detective work and digging, they acquired the moulds of fifteen French foundries.

Price: 75 USD

Location: Weymouth, Massachusetts

End Time: 2024-10-31T01:20:01.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD