Art Nouveau figurine (material/origin/price ?)

[Dirk]

Hello there,

I bought this Art Nouveau figurine/lamp for 120€ from a retired antique seller in Germany whom I visit for ambulatory care. He told me he had it in his home for at least 40 years but could not explain why it has the CE sign which only exists since 1985 on the lamp socket.
The figure itself looks well crafted but what concerns me is the material it is made of. I did some research and all Art Nouveau figures I can find are either made of bronze or spelter. This one is made of some kind of plastic that has been painted. It has a little broken part (see third image) where I put a lighter flame on and it smells distinctively like marzipan when burned. The figurine's socket though is pretty heavy (inside). There is (of course no signature on it.

I have been searching the net for Art Nouveau replicas but had no luck. Maybe someone knows when/where this figurine has been made, what kind of material might have been used and how much it might actually be worth.


(Today I got "very good" bottle of wine from the seller as a present. I just looked it up. It costs 1.29 €... and so it tastes hope this doesn't relate to the price of the figure)



Dirk

[mart]

Well,, it isn`t bronze or spelter,, we know that !! From the white color where the part was broken I am assuming its a plaster/ceramic type figure !!  If you lightly scrape the broken edge with a knife blade and get a powder on the blade you can tell if it is !! Do you still have the piece that was broken so you can re-attach it ??
Sometimes items are re-wired at a later date but forgotten about !!  Could account for the CE which I assume is like our UL !!
Can we get a closer/clear pic of the shade !! Sure looks to be an older lamp !!  Even at mid century not many would have been made in Art Nouveau form !!

[Rauville]

Hello and welcome Dirk;

Being one of those "retired antique sellers" myself I know how faded our memories become. To me, your lamp appears to be a "painted, cold cast resin" model, probably dating back 20(?) some years.
Here's an example of a different style:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TAO-SPIRITUAL-BALANCE-ART-NOUVEAU-19-H-TABLE-LAMP-IN-BRONZE-RESIN-AC-POWERED-/390672960976?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5af5ec4dd0

[mart]

Sure could be but isn`t ccr a solid form without a hollow center !! That's why I thought a ceramic type !!

[Dirk]

It is definitely not made of ceramic or plaster. the whole figure has a hollow feel and sound to it when being pinched. The bell where he lamp is attached to though seems to be made of metal though.
The broken part is lost, I just lighted the tip of the sharp leftover on the figure itself and it gave away this strong marzipan / plasticky smell. It is the same material as the rest of the figure. It then must be some kind of resin.

I just wonder if the price for it (120€) is okay and if there might be more of this model. I have absolutely no clue on model crafting but is it normal just making a matrix (you know what I mean for such a detailed model in order to give away just a few copies without any signature?

What I had on my mind: are there any hints for figurines like this having been mass produced in asia? (hope this does not seem to be too far fetched)

(don't get me wrong. i absolutely like this thing. but am also very curious about its possible origin)

[mart]

How much is that in USD ??  Yes, if resin they are made everywhere !! China is a large mfr of resin items most of which are sold outside of China !! Many of the resin figures are mixed with ground bone for a faux ivory look !!  Would still like to see that shade !!

[Dirk]

that would be about 150 USD. Took another image of the broken part (I guess, you meant the shade of that) This is the best image I can get with my cam. The natural colour is more greyish (as seen in the original post) than blue.

[mart]

Sorry, I should have been more specific !!  I meant the light shade at the top  !!

[Dirk]

okay

[mart]

Wow !! Can`t see color well but that shade, if original, could certainly date to the 20`s !!

[Dirk]

Thanks for bringin my attention to the lamp shade... now look at this The glass has just been painted. You can see the paint coming off! I guess if beeing original the glass itself should have the colours inside of it...

[mart]

Oh !! Well that would mean its flashed glass and not sure how long they have been doing that other than mid century and after !! Might need someone better than me on glass to answer that !!

[Dirk]

Well, at least the whole thing it pretty well crafted and a nice eyecatcher. I will think of it as an original replica Thanks for your help!

[mart]

Its very pretty and and in my opinion,,not a bad price !!

[KC]

It still looks real nice tho'!    Enjoy it!  Not all of us can have million dollar items!  Majority of things I own have personal/intimate value much more than monetary value!