EDGARD BRANDT - Serre livres Ailes - fer forgé - c. 1930

Modernist, exquisitely by Edgard Brandt (1880-1960) designed pair of bookends composed of 
a cast shining sphere from which rises a large Art Deco stylised wing, resting on géographical L- shaped terrasse with crennelated pattern. Edgar Brandt (1880-1960) was the most exquisite French Art Deco metal worker. He combined traditional blacksmith and forging methods with the new machine age technologies of his day such as power hammering and torch welding.By using industrial technologies he created an entirely new aesthetic for metal work. Combining themes and motifs fromancient Greece, Rome and Egypt, fauna and floral forms and machine-inspired geometric design he acquired a worldwide fame .In 1923 he was awarded the Medal of Honour by the Société des Artistes Francais, in 1925 he participated in the famous l’Exposition internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes and in 1926 he was awarded the title of Officer of the Legion d’Honneur. He had galleries in Paris, 27 Boulevard Malesherbes, London and the Ferro Brand gallery in New York, which he visited in 1938 arriving “en grandeur” on the luxury Art Deco cruiser le Normandy, also exquisitely decorated by him. Edgar Brandt remained popular throughout his life times, especially for the rich and famous who could appreciate and afford his craftsmanship. In Brussels among others his work can be seen at the Villa Empain and the French Embassy, in New York a number of his work adorning the façade of buildings like the Madison Belmont Building and in Porto the famous Serralvesvilla. A superb book on his work, Edgar Brandt – Art Deco Ironwork - was written by Joan Kahr and editedin the US.
 
The superb wing and sphere design of these legendary bookends celebrate the 
first westbound uninterrupted flight on September 1 and 2 1930 when Dieudonné Costes with Maurice Bellonte, flew the Breguet Super Bidon “?” "Point d'
Interrogation" from Paris to New York, as the first aircraft to reach New York in the more difficult westbound direction between the North American and European mainlands. They covered either 5,850 km (3,633 miles) in 37 hours.