Vintage Mid-Century Italian Modern Ceramic Sculpture of a Seating Leopard

This large leopard figure, probably was made in italy during the 1970s. The figure is made of high-quality hand-painted ceramic in intense shades of orange, densely speckled with black spots. The leopard is ideal as a decoration for a study or living room, and as a complement to interiors in the hollywood regency style. Animalistic sculptures have a very long tradition and go back to the paleoite times. Over the following centuries, artists forged animal forms in stone, glued clay and cast bronze. It was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that gave animalistic sculpture an independent position. With the development of cabinet art and collecting, small sculptures depicting various animals gained more and more popularity. Art nouveau artists drew inspiration from the world of animals with full handfuls, creating both independent sculptures and furniture, jewelry inspired by the shapes of animal bodies. In the art deco style, the complex shapes of animals were reduced to simple, geometric shapes, which, combined with details and refined materials, gave an incredibly decorative effect. The master of this type of treatment was françois pompon, whose figure of a walking polar bear passed into the canon. Great avant-garde artists also did not shy away from animal shapes. It is enough to mention pablo picasso or henry moore. This figurine is in original vintage condition.