Large Silvered Brass Curlew Sculpture with Chiselled Feathers, French Work, circa 1970

This spectacular silvered brass sculpture of a curlew is one of the most impressive pieces in the French decorative animalier tradition of the post-war period. At nearly half a metre in height, the bird commands immediate attention: the long, elegantly downcurved bill that gives the curlew its unmistakable silhouette; the tall, slender legs that elevate the compact body to an imposing height; and the entire surface worked with the same meticulous chiselled feather technique that characterises the finest French decorative bird sculptures of the 1960s and 1970s. Every feather group — the scapulars, the wing coverts, the breast — is individually rendered, giving the surface a rich, animated texture that the silvered finish turns into a constantly shifting play of light.

The curlew (Numenius arquata) is among Europe’s largest and most distinctive wading birds, and its extraordinary downcurved bill has made it one of the most compelling subjects in ornithological art from the Flemish masters onward. The combination of the long bill, the tall legs, and the mottled, streaked plumage creates a silhouette of exceptional elegance that is perfectly suited to sculptural treatment in metal. Here, the sculptor has captured the bird in a quiet, watchful stance — the posture of a wader at rest, alert but unhurried — that conveys the characteristic calm authority of the species.

The silvered finish, applied over brass casting of excellent quality, gives the piece a cool, moonlit luminosity that is particularly beautiful in evening or candlelight. The rectangular brass base provides a stable, refined footing appropriate to the scale and quality of the work. This is a piece with the presence to be the focal point of a drawing room, library, or entrance hall.

An exceptional decorative sculpture of the highest quality. French work, circa 1970. Dimensions: W. 44.5 × D. 13 × H. 48.5 cm.