181

EMIL MEIER
(Vienna, 1877 - 1958)

Bronze and ivory sculpture

Total weight: 2778,9 g. Estimated ivory weight: 40 g

depicts a young maiden in an elegant pose, captured holding her dress with her left hand and a fan with her right. Her face is slightly tilted to the left side, with a dreamy and introspective expression. The bodice and the wide, multi-layered skirt are made of bronze, carefully modeled with attention to volume and the intricate folds of the gown, characteristic of 19th-century fashion.

The head is carved in elephant ivory with meticulous detail in the facial features and the wavy hair styled in a chignon, adorned with delicate flowers. The entire figure rests on a cylindrical marble base, serving as its support.

Signed on the back of the dress “E. Meier”, and with the Viennese foundry “AR” by Arthur Rubinstein.

Emil Meier was a sculptor active during the first half of the 20th century, closely associated with the Viennese art scene of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. Although biographical information about him is limited, his works are numerous and well known for his remarkable skill in crafting decorative sculptures, often made in bronze and carved ivory, following the chryselephantine technique.

His creations, mostly depicting female figures, are distinguished by the grace of their poses, the meticulous attention to detail, and the delicate expression of the faces. His works were often produced in collaboration with renowned foundries such as Arthur Rubinstein's, one of the most renowned artistic foundries active in the early decades of the 20th century, specialising in lost-wax casting and the production of high-quality bronze sculptures, sometimes combined with precious materials such as ivory, marble and onyx.

Height x width x depth: 24 x 13 x 11 cm

Ivory head dimensions: 5 x 4 cm

This lot, accompanied by a CITES certificate and expertise issued by Ce.S.Ar Centro studi archeometici, is only available for sale with shipments within the European Union. (expertise Ce.S.Ar. 2025-101)