Salvatore Melani – Art Deco figure of a woman with pheasant, painted plaster, c. 1920
Salvatore Melani – Art Deco sculpture of a woman with a pheasant, c. 1920
A graceful Art Deco sculpture of a young woman half reclining, with waved hair gathered in a low chignon, tenderly holding a pheasant to her. The long, curved tail of the bird and her outstretched leg together form an elegant horizontal line on the elongated black base. The sculpture is made of plaster, painted in a warm terracotta tone and lightly varnished.
Signed ‘S. Melani’ on the base (photos 6 and 7), with the number 708 on the back of the base. Salvatore Melani (1902–1934) made many such decorative Art Deco groups of women with animals (pheasant, deer, greyhound) in the 1920s and 30s, executed in painted plaster; comparable sculptures regularly appear at French auctions.
Why we chose this piece
The lines are true Art Deco: stylised, calm and elegant. With its lovely warm colour and the contrast of the black base, this is a decorative sculpture at an affordable price.
Style and interior
Lovely on a sideboard, mantelpiece or bookcase in an Art Deco, 1930s or vintage interior. Also attractive combined with brass, walnut and glass.
Dimensions: width 51.4 cm, height 25 cm, depth 12.1 cm
Material: plaster, painted in a terracotta tone, black painted base
Artist: Salvatore Melani (1902–1934)
Signature: ‘S. Melani’ on the base; number 708 on the back of the base
Period: c. 1920
Origin: France or Italy; purchased by us in France
Condition: fair to good, with signs of use. Small chips and paint damage at the corners and edges of the black base, where the white plaster shows (photos 6 and 7). A few small areas of paint loss on the pheasant and on the woman’s arm (photos 3 and 4). No breaks seen.
* VERKOCHT / SOLD *
