African Folk Art TOTEM Pole Sculpture

Capistrano Gemma Taccogna, a Mexican artist of Italian descent, left a distinctive mark in folk art with her mastery of papier-mâché for the small one, and of ceramic for the big one, which she transformed into an illusion of porcelain. Her style is immediately recognizable: faces with clean features, large, stylized eyes outlined in black, and a playful approach to form. This vase, attributed to Taccogna, evoke Russian dolls known as Matryoshkas, due to the way the faces are painted, associated with the archetype of the mother of a large family, a symbol of motherhood and fertility. The vase entirely made of papier-mâché, share this common aesthetic, reinforced by generous, solid shapes. Their gazes seem to observe without truly concentrating, as if absorbed in a distant thought. This lack of focus gives them a presence that is both peaceful and enigmatic, suspended between wakefulness and dream. The relief necklaces, applied with a deliberately naïve touch, add a sculptural dimension to the whole. The matte, textured material contrasts with the porcelain-like visual effect. This vase belongs to the movement of the Mexican craft...

Istvan Toth was a Hungarian artist who lived and worked in the Hollywood Hills from the 1960s through the 1990s. Signed and dated 1989. The sculpture is made of gilded resin and rest...