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Allan Clark, the King's Temptress, Carved and Polychromed Mahogany, ca. 1926/27

About the Item

ABOUT SCULPTURE This unusual colorful sculpture depicts a very beautiful Balinese woman with a dance crown on her head, looking straight at the viewer. Squinted eyes and slightly swollen lips make her expression sensual and unequivocally inviting. Judging by the author's name of the sculpture, "The King's Temptress", the seduction is directed at her master and lover, the king himself! Many of Clark's sculptures reveal his interest in the exotic or foreign, though these elements, such as Asiatic features, Far Eastern clothing, or romantic titles, are usually superficial additions to figures that are directly related to the idealized and decorative Art Deco figures being created by Clark's contemporaries. Though Clark was praised during his lifetime for how well he had assimilated Asian elements into his work, more recent critiques have noted his often superficial use of Asiatic and Native American ethnic traits and his regular equation of the fantastic and erotic with non-Western cultures. Though Clark's work does clearly reflect early twentieth century stereotypes, there are elements in his work that indicate that he assimilated more than the surface details of the sculptures he studied during his travels in the Far East. Similarities can be drawn, for example, between the full, rounded body contours of Clark's figures and the sculptures of India, or his creation of realistically detailed, painted wood sculptures and the lacquered sculptures of the Nara and Kamakura periods in Japan. His use of gilding and polychromy also reflects Asian influences and techniques. DIMENSIONS Height: 21.75 inches Width: 13.5 inches Depth: 8 inches ABOUT ARTIST Allan Clark (American, 1896 – 1950) Born in Missoula, Montana, Allan Clark became a sculptor whose figure work reflected his world-wide travels, especially in the Orient where from 1924 to 1927, he studied in China, Korea and Japan. Clark was also a student at Puget Sound College in Tacoma, Washington; the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York. Clark was a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters, as well as the National Sculpture Society. He begun work as a sculptor in 1917 in New York City working in stone and terra cotta while teaching at the Beaux - Arts Institute of Design. After his exposure to Oriental techniques, he did woodcarving in that manner. Clark was also a member of the Fogg Museum expedition to explore cave chapels near Turkestan. From this adventure, he did 20 drawings in color. In 1930, he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and sculpted Indian Heads whose titles include “Maria of Cochiti” and Klah-Navaho Medicine Man.”
  • Creator:
    Allan Clark (Sculptor)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 21.75 in (55.25 cm)Width: 13.5 in (34.29 cm)Depth: 8 in (20.32 cm)
  • Style:
    Art Deco (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1926
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. We make our best effort to provide a fair and descriptive condition report. Please examine photos attentively, as they are an integral part of the description. Send us a message to request more details or discuss price.
  • Seller Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2819329322792
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