Spelter earned a reputation it didn't deserve for most of the twentieth century — dismissed by dealers who assumed anything not bronze wasn't worth collecting, even though this zinc alloy casts without flaws and holds fine detail every bit as well. Sculptors of the 1920s and 1930s used it constantly for exactly this kind of subject: a small standing animal, alert and captured mid-stride, meant to sit on a mantel or console rather than a museum plinth.
This antelope stands with its head raised and horns swept back, weight balanced across four slender legs in a pose that reads as a genuine moment rather than a static stance. The metal carries a warm, aged patina across the body, with the horns and facial detail kept crisp enough to show real modeling work rather than a soft, blurred cast. It stands on a black marble base with pale veining running through the stone, the kind of pairing — pale veined marble under a dark metal figure — that Art Deco sculptors reached for again and again because the contrast does half the visual work on its own.
The patina shows the even, settled color of genuine age, and the marble base carries no chips along its edges. At 20 cm long and 17 cm tall, it holds real presence for its size without needing a large surface to work on.
It arrives professionally packed and fully insured — we handle the paperwork and worldwide shipping. Returns are accepted within 30 days.
Details
Materials: spelter (zinc alloy), black marble base
Dimensions: height 17 cm (6.7 in), length 20 cm (7.9 in), width 8 cm (3.1 in)
Style: Art Deco, 1930s
Condition: very good vintage condition, even aged patina
