Salvatore Melani – Art Deco woman with pheasant, painted plaster, 1930s

A graceful Art Deco sculpture of a half-reclining young woman with short, waved 1930s hair, tenderly holding a pheasant. The long, curved tail of the bird and her outstretched leg form an elegant horizontal line on the elongated black base. The sculpture is made of plaster, painted in a warm terracotta tone and lightly varnished. Signed 'S. Melani' on the base, with the number 708 on the back. Made by Salvatore Melani (1902–1934) in the 1930s. Condition: fair to good, with signs of use, small chips and paint damage at the corners and edges of the black base, and some paint loss on the pheasant and the woman's arm. No breaks seen.