FERDINAND PREISS (1882-1943): A RARE CLOCK MOUNTED WITH DANCING GIRLS 'BUTTERFLY DANCERS'

the cold painted bronze and ivory figures of girls flanking the green onyx clock case, raised on a Black Portor marble base over two onyx block feet, the gilt bezel with bevelled glass enclosing the dial with Arabic numerals, signed for the retailer 'Philips & MacConnal London', the clock with timepiece movement winding from the back, stamped 'DEP MADE IN FRANCE', to the backplate, the clock unsigned,

42cm high x 52cm wide.

This lot is subject to CITES due to the ivory content.

Provenance: Private UK collection.

The 'butterfly dancers' flanking this Art Deco onyx mantel clock are of a type identical to those in Preiss's sculpture of that name. See Sotheby's, London, 19 May 2010, lot 162, for a pair of those figures, sold £26,875. Other green onyx clocks flanked by gilt and cold painted bronze and ivory figures signed by Preiss were sold at Sotheby's, London, 27 September 2007, lot 460, Sotheby's, New York 16 June 2004, lot 238, Bonhams, London, 11 August, 2020, lot 219.

Related Literature: Catley, 2002, p.281, Shayo, 2005, p.161.