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"Hercules at Rest", Rare Art Deco Porcelain with Male Nude by Bregnoe

About the Item

Uncontestably, one of the most sensuous pieces of figural porcelain ever produced in the 20th century, this piece shows Hercules resting on a rocky promontory, with one arm outstretched and resting on his signature club. Although it was sculpted by Jens Jakob Bregnoe for the famed Danish sculptor and porcelain designer, Jens Peter Dahl-Jensen, it depicts a prototypical Greek figure, with long, aquiline nose, classically curly hair, and powerful, sinuous body. The figure is fully glazed in a glossy, liquidy white glaze that does not obscure the remarkable attention to detail -- down to every last finger and toe. Dahl-Jensen, who trained at the Royal Academy of Arts in Copenhagen in the 1890s, is probably best known for his line of designs for the Danish firm of Bing and Grondahl (1897-1917) before he set up his own firm producing high quality porcelains in 1925. His better known polychromatic pieces are more widely available, but this piece is a rare, rare find! It is well marked on the bottom.
  • Creator:
    Dahl Jensen (Maker),Jens Jacob Bregnö (Sculptor)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 10 in (25.4 cm)Width: 10 in (25.4 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
  • Style:
    Art Deco (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Porcelain,Glazed
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Circa 1930s
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU865140880092

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