Antique Bronze Art Deco Jester with Bakelite Face, Playing Mandolin on Marble Base

Antique Bronze Jester with Bakelite Face, Playing Mandolin on Marble Base

Approximately 4.1/4 inches tall and 1.5 inches wide (widest part of bottom of base).

Small Art Deco Jester with Mandolin – Bronze and Composite

Year: Circa 1920–1935

History:
This small figural sculpture is characteristic of the Art Deco period, particularly popular in France and Central Europe during the 1920s and 1930s. Depicting a Pierrot- or jester-style performer holding a mandolin, the figure evokes themes of theater, melancholy, and romantic performance that were central to interwar European decorative arts. The form echoes the stylized works of sculptors like Demétre Chiparus and Josef Lorenzl, who blended theatrical themes with fashionable Deco lines. While unsigned, the piece likely originated from a decorative foundry producing bronze and spelter figurines for the continental market.

Description:

Cast bronze or spelter figure of a jester or clown (Pierrot type) playing a mandolin

Standing pose with one foot forward; mounted on a polished onyx or alabaster base

Sculpted costume with flared collar and pointed shoes

Composite or celluloid face (not ivory) with smooth finish, possibly cold-painted remnants

Approximate height: 5.5–6 inches including base

No visible maker’s mark; typical of Austrian or French decorative foundries

The piece holds appeal as an Art Deco decorative object, and its small scale makes it desirable to collectors with limited space. Value is influenced by the theatrical subject matter, condition (particularly the integrity of the composite face and instrument), and quality of casting. Ivory substitutes or early plastics in facial modeling are ordinary and necessary for U.S. legal compliance in resale. Provenance and patina also affect desirability.

Comparable Sales:
Similar Art Deco bronze jester w/ mandolin, alabaster base – $240 (Fontaine’s Auction, 2022)

Excellent condition

Please use the zoom feature to see the detail of the jester, his face, and the flower by his feet. :)

Will be shipped USPS Priority Mail, with tracking, included with price.


All sales are final. Non-refundable.