Circa 1930, cold-painted bronze and ivory, each of a kneeling female with scalloped headdress and hands in prayer position, mounted atop a polished black marble stand, signed ROLAND PARIS to verso.

7 3/8 x 4 1/2 x 3 in.

Born in Vienna, Austria in 1894, Roland Paris studied with Henry van der Velde (Belgian, 1863-1957), co-founder of the Bauhaus school. Roland worked in an astonishing range of media, including statuettes, prints, drawings, masks, illustrations, and paintings. However, his specialty were bronze and ivory figures with a focus on caricature and grotesquerie. In the 1930s he ridiculed Nazi ideology in his work, and as punishment was drafted to fight at the age of 49. He was killed just three days before World War II ended.

Literature: Alberto Shayo, "Roland Paris: Art Deco's Jester King," 2016.

Some scattered areas of paint loss; chipping to marble; marble backings slightly loose; one ivory face with some glue accretions around face (possibly reset), and marble base with crack to back corner; the other with with possible repair to front marble edge; one without felt underside.