A rare and elegant Art Deco figure in cast aluminium and carved ivorine on a black granite base c1930. After "Autumn Dancer" by Ferdinand Preiss. Signed "ETLING Paris". 41cm height, 28cm excluding base.
 
Etling's use of aluminium and ivorine is characteristic of the innovative designs he commissioned. The first process for the extraction of aluminium had been developed c1860 in France. As a corrosion resistant metal, aluminium made an ideal choice as a decorative material and would have been considered as premium and therefore expensive. Ivorine (a protein-based polymer) was discovered in the late 19th century. It was produced in Germany and France under the trade name of Galalithe as a replacement for ivory and was featured at the Paris World Exhibition in 1900. By the mid 1920's with the mass popularity of costume jewellery, it was being used in striking Art Deco designs by leading artists of the time. Although Galalithe was inexpensive to produce, the fact it could not be moulded (therefore requiring carving) led to its demise in commercial use. 
For further information on Etling visit our Maker's History pages.