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c. 1940 – Pair of Horses in Silvered Brass on Black Marble – France
€2,120
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Product description
A balance on the edge of reality
There are silences that precede beauty, like a suspended breath. And then they appear: two immortal stallions, frozen at the peak of their cadence, their flanks still trembling with momentum, one hoof suspended in the air. Their dance is one of perfect tension, a choreography that will never be resolved, a dialogue between balance and strength.
Between them, a quiet energy flows, contained, almost tangible. It's not the wild abandon of a gallop, but the elegance of total control. That fleeting moment when the animal becomes sculpture, and sculpture becomes presence.
It is within this restrained language that the true power of the piece emerges: a double equestrian figure cast in silvered brass, delicately polished to reveal, here and there, fleeting undertones of golden bronze—an interplay of slate-like reflections and warmer glints, shifting with the light.
Beneath their hooves, a monolithic base in veined black marble—Spanish Nero Marquina—grounds the composition in raw mineral presence: a nacreous vein, silvery fractures, the faint sketch of a storm suddenly stilled. Precision-cut to a thickness of thirty millimeters, the stone slab creates a bold counterpoint—it’s cold majesty echoing the controlled strength of the horses above.
From an architectural point of view, the room is a visual anchor. Not high enough to obstruct the view, but far from discreet enough to disappear into the background. Almost sixty centimeters long and just over twenty-six centimeters high - rare proportions, designed to invite dialogue. Combined with a pedimented mirror, a gilded frame, a console or a mantelpiece, it is never in competition, it is in relationship. Its horizontal position gives it a presence that roots it, while the tension of the horses stretches the surrounding space. Serene and sovereign, it blends into the background without ever disappearing.
Everything here points to a provenance of distinction: a French—or possibly Brussels-based—decorative production, crafted between the final flourish of Art Deco and the early stirrings of a more restrained, refined modernism. This piece was born during that transitional era—most likely between 1935 and 1950—when ornament began to yield to line, and decorative sculpture embraced a more poised, architectural language.
The choice of Nero Marquina marble, selected for its dramatic veining; the silvery patina, worked into a cold metallic sheen; the finely tuned balance of the volumes, tense yet never excessive—all suggest the hand of a high-level artisan, shaped by a workshop accustomed to serving an informed, cultured clientele, attuned to the quiet elegance of salons and collector’s interiors.
What strikes most, however, is the extraordinary discretion with which this piece moves through the market. No ostentatious signature, no mass production. This type of equestrian casting—with such architectural presence and meticulous execution—has become nearly impossible to find. The few comparable examples that surface today do so through private estates or discreet sales. They are not seen in shop windows, and almost never online.
That is, in essence, the true rarity of this work: a piece that no longer belongs to the market, but to the intimate circle of objects preserved, passed on, sometimes fiercely guarded.
This is not a piece one simply finds—it is one that allows itself, one day, to be found. And that may well be its ultimate luxury: to appear only to those who truly see—those attuned to the quiet of a perfect moment, and to the rare spark of a meeting that will not come again.
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Dimensions (cm): 26.5 (H) x 58 (W) x 15 (D)
Weight: 7 kg
Origin & Period: France, c. 1935–1950 (full technical report supporting this attribution available upon request)
Condition: Excellent overall condition. Evenly aged silver patina with light localized wear revealing warm undertones. Marble base intact, with a few minor edge chips (under 5 mm), discreet and with no impact on structural integrity or visual harmony.
Condition: Excellent overall condition. Evenly aged silver patina with light localized wear revealing warm undertones. Marble base intact, with a few minor edge chips (under 5 mm), discreet and with no impact on structural integrity or visual harmony.
Condition: Excellent overall condition. Evenly aged silver patina with light localized wear revealing warm undertones. Marble base intact, with a few minor edge chips (under 5 mm), discreet and with no impact on structural integrity or visual harmony.
Specifications
ConditionVery goodColorsWhite, BlackMaterialBrass, MarbleNumber of items1OrientationLandscapeArt sizeMediumHeight26 cmWidth58 cmSigns of usageChipped
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Saint-Martin-Lestra, FranceOn Whoppah since November 2024 • 3 sales