Up for auction is this stunning art deco style hollow cast metal figure of a beautiful female nymph or fairy. She has butterfly wings and appears in diaphanous 1920s Egyptian-inspired dress. (Egyptian style was all the rage in the 1920s because of Howard Carter’s startling 1922 discovery of King Tutankhamun’s intact tomb.) Her gown and headdress remind me of a costume that could have been worn by Theda Bara in a silent film.

The figure has a pleasing aged, bronze-toned patina, and is about 6" high by about 7" wide. I have had it in my collection since the early 1970s, and I’m guessing this might have been one half of a pair of bookends, since the back is flat with a intricate 3D pattern of squares on it. There is a very minor ding on the back measuring less than ½ inch (see 2nd photo - it's just below and to the right of the back of the head).

Although art deco in style, to my eye, there is just a hint of Art Nouveau in the design of the wings. Perhaps this was a transitional piece?

This lovely figure would make a fantastic addition to any art deco collection and will be sure to give you that 1920s ambiance.