Set of Three Small Decorative Brass Owls, French Work, circa 1970

This delightful set of three small brass owls in graduated sizes makes a perfectly composed decorative group. The largest owl — the most detailed of the three — is worked with a richly engraved surface that renders each feather group, the characteristic facial disc, and the large, forward-facing eyes of the bird with confident miniaturist skill. The smaller companions are rendered in a more summarily expressive style, their forms simplified to capture the essential silhouette and character of the owl — the compact upright body, the large rounded head, the alert posture — rather than individual plumage detail.

The owl has been one of the most enduringly popular subjects in European decorative art, prized for its associations with wisdom, learning, and the nocturnal world. In the decorative arts of the 1960s and 1970s, owls enjoyed a particular vogue: produced in brass, ceramic, glass, and wood by workshops across France and beyond, they found a ready market among collectors who appreciated their combination of naturalistic charm and symbolic resonance. The brass owl, in particular, was a staple of the French artisanal gift trade, produced at varying levels of quality from modest tourist pieces to the carefully finished examples seen here.

These three owls occupy the upper range of that production: the quality of the casting and the care of the engraved detail are clearly those of a skilled workshop with a serious approach to the decorative object. Displayed as a group on a bookshelf, mantelpiece, or desk, they create an animated and charming composition; individually, each can stand as a small sculptural presence in its own right.

A lovely set of French decorative brass owls in excellent vintage condition. Dimensions of largest: W. 6 × D. 7 × H. 7.5 cm.