Items Similar to Sun God Ra / - The Light of Knowledge -
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8
AnonymusSun God Ra / - The Light of Knowledge -c. 1935
c. 1935
$455.29
$569.1120% Off
£339.02
£423.7720% Off
€384
€48020% Off
CA$625.59
CA$781.9820% Off
A$700.15
A$875.1920% Off
CHF 365.42
CHF 456.7820% Off
MX$8,538.21
MX$10,672.7720% Off
NOK 4,676.93
NOK 5,846.1620% Off
SEK 4,427.31
SEK 5,534.1420% Off
DKK 2,923.06
DKK 3,653.8220% Off
Shipping
Retrieving quote...The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation
About the Item
Anonymous, Sun God Ra (bookend), 16 x 13.5 x 6 cm (depiction), 17.5 x 13.5 x 8 cm (with pedestal), patinated brass, c. 1935.
- Nose slightly rubbed, otherwise very good condition
- The Light of Knowledge -
This is a work from the still largely unwritten art history of the bookend. This new artistic genre developed with the rise of bourgeois libraries in the 19th century and reached its peak in Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
Although it may not seem so at first glance, the image refers to the library represented by the bookend. We see the Egyptian sun god Ra, whose head is integrated into the sun disk. A halo that is itself the source of sacred light - after all, Ra is the sun itself.
Below Ra's head, depicted on an implied stele, we see a plow, which represents the cultivation of the soil and is a symbol for the cultivation of the soul. The plow on the bookend is an allegory of reading, since reading is done line by line, analogous to plowing. And reading in particular is a cultivation of the soul, as it opens up the divine light of knowledge, just as the library is able to make accessible the original knowledge illustrated by the bookend.
The geometric shape of the base and the leitmotif of the circle, together with the symmetrical formal rigor of the Egyptian motif, identify the bookend as a characteristic work of Art Deco.
GERMAN VERSION
Anonymus, Sonnengott Ra (Buchstütze), 16 x 13,5 x 6 cm (Darstellung), 17,5 x 13,5 x 8 cm (mit Postament), patinierter Gelbguss, um 1935.
- Nase leicht berieben, sonst sehr gutes Exemplar
- Das Licht des Wissens -
Hier steht ein Werk der noch weitgehend ungeschriebenen Kunstgeschichte der Buchstütze vor Augen. Mit dem Aufkommen der bürgerlichen Bibliotheken entwickelte sich im 19. Jahrhundert diese neue Kunstgattung, die im Jugendstil und Art déco ihren Höhepunkt erlebte.
Auch wenn es auf den ersten Blick nicht den Anschein hat, bezieht sich die Darstellung auf die von der Buchstütze repräsentierte Bibliothek. Wir sehen den ägyptischen Sonnengott Ra, dessen Kopf in die Sonnenscheibe integriert ist. Ein Heiligenschein, der selbst die Quelle des heiligen Lichtes ist – schließlich ist Ra die Sonne selbst.
Unter dem auf einer angedeuteten Stele präsentierten Kopf Ras ist ein Pflug zu sehen, der für die Kultivierung des Bodens einsteht und ein Sinnbild für die Kultivierung der Seele ist. Auf der Buchstütze dargestellt, ist der Pflug eine Allegorie des Lesens, da das Lesen, in Analogie zum Ziehen der Furchen, Zeile um Zeile erfolgt. Und gerade das Lesen ist eine Kultivierung der Seele, da es das göttliche Licht der Erkenntnis eröffnet, vermag die Bibliothek doch eben jenes ursprüngliche Wissen zugänglichen zu machen, das von der Buchstütze veranschaulicht wird.
Die geometrisierte Form des Sockels und das Leitmotiv des Kreises weisen zusammen mit der symmetrischen Formstrenge der ägyptischen Motivik die Buchstütze als charakteristisches Werk des Art déco aus.
About the Seller
5.0
Gold Seller
Premium sellers maintaining a 4.3+ rating and 24-hour response times
Established in 2014
1stDibs seller since 2023
20 sales on 1stDibs
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Berlin, Germany
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllGoethe / - Goethe's Will -
Located in Berlin, DE
Hans Harders (1875 Mörel - 1955 Berlin), Goethe (bookend). Patinated brass mounted on a wooden base, 15 x 12 x 6 cm (depiction), 17 x 14.5 x 7 cm (with ba...
Category
1930s Art Deco Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Brass
$1,138 Sale Price
20% Off
Mother Happiness / - The ecstasy of maternal joy -
Located in Berlin, DE
Johannes Boese (1856 Ostrog - 1917 Berlin), Mutterglück, um 1910. Goldbraun patinierte Bronze auf gegossener rechteckiger Plinthe, montiert auf zweifarbigem Marmorsockel (9,5 cm Höhe...
Category
1910s Art Nouveau Nude Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
$3,983 Sale Price
20% Off
Gladiator ready for battle / - Ready for anything -
By Bruno Zach
Located in Berlin, DE
Bruno Zach (1891 Zhitomir - 1945 Vienna), Gladiator ready for battle, c. 1930. Blackish patinated bronze with silver-plated helmet, shield rim and shield pommel mounted on a fluted m...
Category
1930s Art Deco Nude Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Juggler / - Artistic naturalness -
Located in Berlin, DE
Claire Jeanne Robertine Colinet (1880 Brussels - 1950 Asnières-sur-Seine), Juggler, around 1920. Brownish patinated bronze with gilded balls on a round, multi-profiled stone base (10...
Category
1920s Art Deco Nude Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Bust of a young woman / - Beauty of youth -
Located in Berlin, DE
Anonymous, Bust of a young woman, c. 1900, artificial marble and gray onyx marble. 37 cm (height) x 37 cm (width) x 22 cm (depth), weight 17.2 kg. Signed “GURRINI” on the reverse.
-...
Category
Early 1900s Realist Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble
$901 Sale Price
20% Off
Naked warrior with short sword / - The New Hercules -
Located in Berlin, DE
Hermann Volz (1847 Karlsruhe - 1914 ibid.), Naked warrior with short sword, c. 1935. Partially (?) patinated bronze with cast plinth mounted on a black marble base (6.8 cm high). 32....
Category
1930s Art Deco Nude Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
You May Also Like
Sun God
By Donald De Lue
Located in Boston, MA
Donald De Lue, American (1897-1988). Sun God, 1937. Bronze, 35 x 19 x 9 inches.
Bronze with Renaissance Brown patina and gold patina on sun. Number 6 in an ed...
Category
20th Century Art Deco Nude Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
$35,000
Art Deco Sculpture Author G. Arisse
By G. Arisse
Located in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Art Deco sculpture author G. Arisse
Origin France Circa 1930
Materials: white metal (patinated)
Very good conditions
Natural wear.
Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Pewter
$2,240 Sale Price
20% Off
Bogota's Glory
By Henri Bouchard
Located in PARIS, FR
Bogota's Glory
by Henri Bouchard (1875-1960)
Sculpture in bronze with a nuanced yellow-brown patina
Signed "H. Bouchard" on the base
Cast by "Siot" (stamp)
France
circa 1927
height...
Category
1920s Art Deco Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Max Le Verrier Art Deco Sculpture by Le Faguays
By Pierre Le Faguays
Located in NANTES, FR
Large model of art deco sculpture "Danseuse aux cerceaux" pati. Subject in spelter with green patina on black marble base, signed on the base.
Model by Le Faguays published by Max Le...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble, Spelter
SOLAR TOTEM
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Astian Rey "SOLAR TOTEM"
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Enamel
Art Deco Masterpiece Sculpture by René Buthaud
By René Buthaud
Located in Zurich, CH
This article features a striking statue by René Buthaud, a prominent French sculptor known for his mastery of form and material. Signed and measuring 70 cm in length, this piece exem...
Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Metal
