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"Angel Battling the Hydra, " Fantastic Art Deco Sculptural Relief with Male Nude

$6,500
£4,962.72
€5,734.38
CA$9,124.77
A$10,170.51
CHF 5,336.12
MX$124,198.46
NOK 67,566.83
SEK 63,860.93
DKK 42,798.17

About the Item

Dating to 1943, at the height of Great Britain's battle, newly joined by America, against the Nazis, this rare, Art Deco bas relief sculptural panel was commissioned and presented by the Air Ministry to fund raisers across Britain "In Recognition of Successful Achievement in Wings for Victory Week," and in particular the "Per Ardua Ad Astra" campaign (which quoted the Royal Air Force's motto, translated as “Through Adversity to the Stars"). The panel features a nude male angel figure battling a multi-headed hydra, clearly referring to the Nazi enemy, a variation of the ancient Hercules myth, and was executed in a lovely, butter-yellow Bakelite by the De La Rue Plastic company. The artist's monogram, McM, is evident, but the artist's identity is not known.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 23 in (58.42 cm)Width: 14 in (35.56 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
  • Style:
    Art Deco (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Bakelite,Molded
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1943
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU865121334402

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