Flame Leaper, An Ivory and Cold-Painted Bronze Sculpture
Cast and Carved from a Model by Ferdinand Preiss, circa 1925
The black marble base inscribed F. Preiss and stamped with the Preiss-Kassler foundry monogram
14 in (35.6 cm) high, 6½ in (16.5 cm) wide
cf. Alberto Shayo, Ferdinand Preiss: Art Deco Sculptor, The Fire and the Flame, 2005, p.164
Bryan Catley, Art Deco and other Figures, 2003, p.299
Victor Arwas, Art Deco Sculpture, 1992, p.167
14 in (35.6 cm) high, 6½ in (16.5 cm) wide
cf. Alberto Shayo, Ferdinand Preiss: Art Deco Sculptor, The Fire and the Flame, 2005, p.164
Bryan Catley, Art Deco and other Figures, 2003, p.299
Victor Arwas, Art Deco Sculpture, 1992, p.167
Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss (1892-1943), based in Berlin, was the most prolific sculptor of the Art Deco period in Germany. He combined ivory, bronze, onyx and marble to create the most dazzling sculptures of his day, accurately reflecting the fashion of his times. No one in his period surpassed him in the art of ivory carving.
Flame Leaper is one of the most dramatic and ingenious figures from the Preiss repertoire. A woman leaps through a flame, her performance combining the beauty of dance with the athleticism of acrobatics. Preiss depicted the epitome of the 1920s modern woman - slender, athletic and liberated. As a sculptor, he masterfully achieves the illusion of a body that appears to float by using the 'flame' as a support to her costume.
Flame Leaper is one of the most dramatic and ingenious figures from the Preiss repertoire. A woman leaps through a flame, her performance combining the beauty of dance with the athleticism of acrobatics. Preiss depicted the epitome of the 1920s modern woman - slender, athletic and liberated. As a sculptor, he masterfully achieves the illusion of a body that appears to float by using the 'flame' as a support to her costume.
