Rare Pair of Dutch Art Deco Sculptural Hammered Copper Bookends, 1920s–1930s A striking pair of Dutch Art Deco bookends, handcrafted in hammered copper and dating from the 1920s–1930s. The pair is formed as bold three-dimensional compositions, conceived as abstract sculptures rather than purely functional objects. Each bookend rises into a sharply pointed triangular form, with modelled, angular ridges running across the face. These stepped, chevron-like planes give the pieces a strong architectural quality and create shifting highlights and shadows as the light moves across the surface. The hand-worked copper has a wonderfully lively texture.. The warm copper coloured tones further emphasize the sculptural modelling and give the pair a beautifully aged, expressive surface. Both the hammered treatment of the copper and the geometric forms are closely related to the work of Dutch metalworkers such as Conrad Fehn and Methorst, whose decorative objects from this period often combine traditional hand-working techniques with the increasingly stylised vocabulary of Dutch Art Deco. While we have not been able to establish a definite maker, these bookends sit convincingly within that circle and may possibly have been produced by one of these workshops. They are also remarkably rare. We have not encountered another pair of this design, making them particularly interesting examples of the more sculptural and experimental side of Dutch decorative metalwork of the period. Beautiful as functional bookends, but equally compelling displayed simply as a pair of small sculptural objects. They are in good condition - one of the two has a small bend in the base. Still perfectly usable. Dimensions each: H 17 × W 13 × D 6 cm | H 6.7 × W 5.1 × D 2.4 in