Dancer with Snake Sculpture

Bronze statue of a young woman in a strapless dress with a billowing bottom, holding a large snake. At one time the piece was d’or bronze, although most of the gold leafing has rubbe...

An excellent early 20th Century cold painted Austrian bronze of an orientalist dancer, holding a snake above her head. with very fine colour and fabulous hand finished surface detail. Signed with the Bergman ‘B’ in an amphora vase and marked ?Geschutzt Additional information Measures: Height: 47 cm Width: 18 cm Depth: 15 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1900 Materials: Cold Painted Bronze Book Ref Antique Vienna Bronzes by Joseph Zobel About Bergman Saddled Horse Franz Bergman Sculptures Bergman Man in Tent – Bergman is celebrated for his great attention to detail and wonderful vibrant colours, Franz Xavier Bergman (1861-1936) is, arguably, the most famous of the Viennese cold-painted bronze artists, delighting in producing Oriental, Arab bronze and animal subjects, including Harem beauties, Arab tradesmen, Scribes and Arab Warrior and almost every animal subject that was known at the time. His father, also Franz Bergman (1838–1894), was a professional chaser (embosser) from Gablonz, Austria who came to Vienna and founded a small bronze factory in 1860. Franz Xavier inherited the company and opened a new foundry in 1900. There he created numerous cold painted (so named because the numerous layers of polychrome paint, applied to the bronze, were not fired to fix them to the metal) figures. Many other bronzes were still based on designs by Franz Bergman, the elder. Orientalist Subjects From the 17th Century onwards it was customary for the young Victorian gentleman to go on the obligatory tour of the East – the Grand Tour – as an educational rite of passage. Visiting countries and experiencing customs they had only ever heard about in stories, these young men were keen to show their families mementos of their experience, especially the lavish subjects of the Middle Eastern Arab world. The return trip would usually include a visit to Vienna, and here the ‘souvenir’ shops supplied a plethora of beautifully crafted sculptures with an Orientalist Arab flavour. These were often acquired to show their friends and families images of their travels. Bergman was noted for his detailed and colourful work and he produced a huge number of Orientalist subjects to cater for this market including this Arab Tent Lamp...

Made of a beautifully crafted patinated bronze, it proudly stands on its original magnificent marble base. Unsigned, the authorship is unidentified. Full of tasteful provocative ero...

Young dancer in an oriental costume with a tight bustier, a long, softly falling green skirt and a diadem on her hair tied at the nape of her neck, posing with her upper body stretch...

This provocative, desk-size bronze statuette of a semi-nude oriental dancer in a sensuous, rather candid pose rendered in the best Art Nouveau traditions of the world-famous Viennese foundry of Franz Xavier Bergman...

ABOUT SCULPTURE This provocative and wonderful life-like sculpture depicts a semi-nude female dancer in elaborate attire and a beautiful headdress, coquettishly rising on one leg dur...