A Decorative Early 20thC Jewellers Shop Display Hand

SOLD
Origin: English
Period: Early Twentieth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1910-25
Length: 7.5 inches
Width: 4.25 inches (at maximum)

The original early twentieth century period shop display female hand with moulded mock wedding ring having a metal rod frame and a wonderfully well rendered composition gesso-plaster body, the whole with the original painted finish.

The hand has some expected chipping to the finger ends and to the finish as a whole and there is some damage to the little finger and the ring finger with both having cracks running around them where they meet the palm. The paint has chipping and flaking to the whole and it makes it hugely evocative. The Art Deco period saw shop display hands like these become more prevalent though this example is definitely an early one of its type and probably pre-dates that period.

With a faint tang of the macabre this is time-worn decorative at its best and a scarce piece of well detailed shop display.
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