Pair of Craquelé Ceramic Elephant Bookends 1930s

Pair of elephant-shaped ceramic bookends with a crackle glaze, made in the 1930s

Ø 20 cm Ø 9 cm, height 14 cm

Pair of glazed crackle-ceramic elephants, modeled in soft, simplified forms and featuring an ivory-colored surface covered with a dense network of fine veins.

Crackle glaze is a special decorative technique achieved by controlling the crazing of the glaze layer during firing and cooling. The irregular network of tiny cracks becomes an integral part of the decoration, lending the surface depth, movement, and a distinctive tactile appearance.

The compact, stylized forms, combined with the glossy crackle finish, reflect the animal-inspired and sculptural style typical of decorative arts in the 1920s and 1930s, when animal figures and exotic subjects became recurring motifs in ceramics and home furnishings.

A pair with strong decorative appeal, embodying the taste and ceramic experimentation of the Art Deco period.