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"Nude Male Archer Bookends", Rare Pair of Ceramic, Arts and Crafts Sculptures

About the Item

This rare and remarkable pair of ceramic bookends, featuring kneeling nude male figures with drawn bows who are ready to let fly their arrows, was designed by Mary Watts and produced by the Compton Pottery in Surrey, England. The lovely palette of glazes in this pair is striking and unusual, with red-haired youthful figures set against a ground of pale yellow upon a base of deep blue-green. The extraordinary history of Compton Pottery seemed to involve every major figure in the Arts and Crafts movement, starting with Mary herself, who was married to George Watts, the esteemed painter. The Pottery's origin was seeded by Mary Watt's involvement in creating a wide array of terra cotta pieces for the renowned Watts Chapel, which survives today as a tour de force of architecture and decorative arts. William de Morgan had a hand in designing and installing the Pottery's kiln, and Alfred Gilbert and Archibald Knox, among others, designed some of the pieces they produced. This pair is well-marked on the bottom.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 7 in (17.78 cm)Width: 7 in (17.78 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
  • Sold As:
    Set of 2
  • Style:
    Arts and Crafts (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Ceramic,Glazed
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Circa 1920s
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU865136631202

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