MacDougall Auctions 12-18 June 2008

12 June 2008

artist_index / full_catalogue


Dancer of Kapurthala

98. CHIPARUS, DEMETER 1886-1947

Dancer of Kapurthala base inscribed: "Chiparus".

Cold-painted parcel-gilt and silver patinated bronze, on an onyx base, 56 by 31.5 by 8.5 cm.
40,000-60,000


Provenance: Private collection.

Literature: Brian Catley, Art Deco and other Figures, Antique Collectors' Club, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 1978, p. 60, p.92 illustrated.
A. Shayo. Chiparus: Master of Art Deco. Abbeville Press Inc., USA, 1993, p. 132 illustrated.
Art Deco Sculpture: from Root to Flourishing, vol 1, Russian House Art Deco, 2008.

The sculpture belongs to the mature period of Chiparus’s oeuvre and reflects the influence of cabaret culture and aesthetic functionalism on figurative art. Close fitting cloche hats were one of the most fashionable features of the 1920s, and tightly fitting stage costumes covered in sequins were everywhere in European music halls. The title of the sculpture is taken from the name of an Indian city and is an example of the striking stage names adopted by dancers of that time. The very form of the sculpture is sharp, extravagant, geometrical and embodies the fast-moving rhythms of the 1920s “jazz era”.

For more information please refer to printed catalogue


Notes on symbols:
* Indicates 5% Import Duty Charge applies.
Ω Indicates 20% Import Duty Charge applies.
§ Indicates Artist's Resale Right applies.
† Indicates Standard VAT scheme applies, and the rate of 20% VAT will be charged on both hammer price and premium.