Exquisite Wallendorf porcelain figurine originally named “Tanzende Afrikanerin” (German) as titled in “Modell Buch Wallendorf “, designed in Art Deco style by the famous artist Kurt Steiner, in perfect condition. It depicts the 1920’s icon legend - black dancer “Josephine Baker” performing partially nude with a sculptural skirt, reminiscent of her famous “banana skirt”, embellished with typical African leg, arm and neck golden bracelets, multicolored feathers crowned, beautifully sculpted and glazed, detailed hand painted to perfection. The figurine was designed in the Art Deco style, an art movement characterized in the 1920s and 1930s by a fascination with "exotic" cultures and jazz. ~ Josephine Baker was an icon of the jazz age. She was a legendary performer, WWII spy, and civil rights activist who used fame, courage, and compassion to fight racism and inspire global unity. American born, she landed in 1925 in France with “La Revue Nègre” and Paris was never the same again. The moment she stepped onto the stage of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in her infamous banana skirt, the crowd went wild. Paris had a history of recognizing avant-garde art, and audiences were already smitten with African culture. They embraced Josephine whole-heartedly. Baker's most infamous half-nude, banana skirt dance took place in 1926 Paris, in a performance called “La Folie du Jour”. Josephine's beauty and erotic style of dance took Paris by storm.  She soon became the highest-paid entertainer in Europe. Pablo Picasso painted her, Ernest Hemingway called her “The most sensational woman anyone ever saw.” The French called her “La Perle Noire” (The Black Pearl) and “La Vénus Noire” (The Black Venus). ~ Due to their rarity and historical context as art objects of the "Jazz Age" era, this figurine is a highly collector item. Kurt Steiner (1904 - 1970), was a famous modeler and designer since the early 1930s and influenced Thuringian ornamental porcelain for decades. Wallendorf Porcelain factory has been in operation since 1764, being one of the oldest porcelain trademarks in Germany. It is in excellent more to perfect condition, marked on the back of the base with crowned W 1764 in green, beautifully sculpted and glazed, impressed numbered #1632, NO chips, NO cracks and NO repairs, please see the pictures as they are part of description. Germany, 1963 Dimensions: Height: 23,7 cm Length: 14,5 cm Width: 10 cm It will be very carefully and safely packed ! With love and respect for the porcelain - “ The White Gold “