Maurice Chevalier 1930 Mannequin

This is a very interesting piece and ultimately a great mystery.
It is a piece of fabric to which all the attributes of the famous French singer Maurice Chevalier have been added. The face is made of cardboard. The "canotier" hat is a real hat. The piece of cloth folds in half. On the back, large embroidery in the shape of an "M" for Maurice.

I have several hypotheses for this work.

1/ It is the creation of an admirer who probably wanted to offer it to Maurice Chevalier.

2/ This is a work that really belonged to the artist. The fact that the mannequin is foldable and can be moved from gala to gala seems to support this thesis. Furthermore we know that Maurice Chevalier appreciated and collected artistic representations of himself. There are period photos where we see him in front of a series of bronze sculptures which represent him.

3/ This is a promotional item that was sold during Maurice Chevalier shows. (But in this case why did you make it folding?)

In any case, it is an extremely interesting piece which undoubtedly dates from the 1930s. A charming evocation of the Roaring Twenties between the wars.

95cm high
40cm width.