Art Deco Style Bronze Sculpture: Diana the Huntress with Hounds
Estimated value
$250 - $650Rarity
Average(4/10)Category
AntiquesEra
Mid-to-late 20th centuryOrigin
🌍 InternationalAuthenticity
ART DECO STYLE BRONZE SCULPTURE: DIANA THE HUNTRESS WITH HOUNDS: IDENTIFICATION
This dynamic bronze sculpture depicts a stylized nude female figure, likely the Roman goddess Diana (Artemis), in a forward-leaning athletic pose accompanied by three bounding greyhounds or hunting dogs. The work is executed in the Art Deco aesthetic, characterized by streamlined muscularity, an elongated silhouette, and a sense of swift horizontal movement. The figure's hair is swept back as if in flight, and the dogs are captured in a mid-stride gallop. The piece is mounted on a two-tier rectangular plinth consisting of a bronze-toned plate over a black marble or polished stone base.
Compare with other items in the archive: Mathurin Moreau (French, 1822–1912) - Andromeda, Bronze Figural Sculpture, American Oak Sideboard or Dresser with Serpentine Front - c.1890-1910, Silver Figural Sardine Fork with Barley Twist Stem.
CROSS-CULTURAL PARALLELS
Where This Object Echoes
Diana as the goddess of the hunt, typically depicted with stags or hounds.
Emphasis on geometric harmony and the glorification of speed and the athletic body.
Ritual & Ceremonial Use
- •Traditional sporting art collecting among European and American elite in the early 20th century.
Meaning Through Time
Diana symbolized chastity and the power of the natural world.
The figure transitioned to symbolize the 'New Woman'—independent, athletic, and modern.
PERIOD & PROVENANCE
COLLECTOR NOTES
Paul Manship's original 1925 'Diana and Hound' was produced in an edition of approximately 12 large casts and several smaller variants, one of which belongs to the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
SCARCITY
Typical antique shop fare. Requires some searching but regularly available. This is where most genuine antiques fall.
Rarity 4/10. Curiosa currently catalogues 17 antiques items at rarity 4 or higher.
Typical Characteristics
- Standard antique shop items
- Regularly available
- Moderate collector interest
Confidence Factors
- Lack of visible artist signature or foundry stamp in the provided images
- Extreme popularity of this specific 'Manship-style' motif led to many late-20th-century reproductions
- Base construction style often associated with 1970s-1990s decorative castings
Expert review recommended. Consider consulting a specialist before making purchasing decisions.
ANTIQUARIAN'S ASSESSMENT
Museum-Trained Art Historian
The style and subject are readily identifiable, but without seeing a signature or foundry mark, I cannot differentiate between a mid-century boutique casting and a later high-end decorator copy.
KEY EVIDENCE
- 1Stylistic adherence to the 'Manship' Diana composition of 1925
- 2Chemical brown patina consistent with 20th-century bronze working
- 3Solid bronze casting visible at the base of the hounds' feet
- 4Streamlined, tapered limbs characteristic of the 1920s athletic ideal
UNCERTAINTIES
- •Chip on base suggests a brittle stone or synthetic marble rather than high-grade Belgian Black marble
- •Anonymity of casting—no signature visible on the bronze top-plate
- •The hair rendering lacks the crisp 'chasing' detail found in period French foundry work (e.g., Susse Frères)
WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY
- →Check the underside of the stone base for labels or felt residue
- →Look for a signature (e.g., 'Manship' or 'Bouraine') along the rear edge of the bronze base plate
- →Test the stone base with a pin—cold to touch suggests real marble; a dull sound might suggest resin
CONDITION & GRADE
Grading breakdown
Main bronze figure is intact without oxidation; however, the chip on the marble base and lack of visible foundry marks suggest an older high-quality decorative reproduction rather than a period original.
Condition
The sculpture appears in good structural condition. There is a small visible chip on the front-right corner of the black stone base and some surface dust accumulation in the crevices of the hounds' forms.
Weight & feel
Estimated between 3 kg and 5 kg, suggesting a solid bronze casting rather than a hollow spelter (zinc alloy) reproduction.
ANTIQUES MARKET VALUATION
Updated: May 11, 2026
Who buys this
Interior designers specializing in Art Deco revival and collectors of sporting or mythological bronzes.
What increases value
- •Sharpness of detail in the hounds' musculature
- •Integrity of the marble base (absence of chips)
- •Existence of a verifiable signature or foundry mark
What lowers value
- •Prevalence of low-end 'souvenir' castings made of zinc/spelter
- •The visible chip on the marble base significantly detracts from 'mint' collector value
What makes top-tier examples
- •Evidence of hand-finished chasing in the hair and facial features
- •Foundry markings from reputable 1920s Parisian workshops
Grade & condition
Condition of the patina and the structural integrity of the stone base.
Rarity & demand
For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.
SIMILAR CURIOSITIES
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Art Deco Geometric Ziggurat Candelabrum c.1930
Silver Figural Sardine Fork with Barley Twist Stem
French Boulle Style Mantle Clock Garrison Garniture Set (c. 1880-1910)
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