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Pair of bookends. Oscar B. Bach (stamped signature).
New York, New York. Probably 1920-1930. Copper-plated copper alloy and copper
plated zinc alloy. Height overall: 8 3/8"; Width overall: 6 3/4". The round back plate has a strong double rim and stands on edge on a serpentine-fronted ogee stepped base. Two S-scroll spandrels soften the juncture of base and vertical plate, and a cartouche of bound ribbons surmounts the back plate. All primary surfaces of these two components have a hammered texture overall. Applied to the vertical back plate is a cast and plated zinc alloy mask of a man whose eyes and mouth are wide open, perhaps in song, warning, or grief. His hair rises to three crown-like peaks on top of his head and also flows in watery courses in front of his ears to meet a squared and similarly stylized beard. The base is stamped Oscar B Bach. |
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The dramatic face with classical beard could simply be a mask in the tradition of Greek theatre. If so, the amphitheatre shape of the base is a cohesive and clever reference. The flowing beard is reminiscent of some images of Poseidon, God of the Oceans, rising from the waves. Poseidon is often depicted wearing a crown, and the three-lobed crown Bach includes here could be a reference of the Greek God’s famous three-pronged trident.
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