Pair Of Saigonese And Laotian Bronze Sculptures, A Ceremonial Gift From Indochina, 1953

A pair of Saigonese and Laotian bronze sculptures with a dark brown/black patina, mounted on a solid wood base, depicting two elegant traditional Indochinese female figures; Indochinese Art Deco period, mid-20th century (circa the 1950s).

Both have their hair styled in an off-center bun held in place by a traditional hairpin topped with a seashell, and their ears are adorned with circular earrings featuring textured rosette designs.

Origin and artistic attribution:
Nguyễn Thanh Lê (1919–2006), a leading master bronze casters from the Biên Hòa School of Applied Arts.
The quality and finesse of the craftsmanship are consistent with bronzes from this period.

Historical context:
Works created within the context of colonial military commemoration at the end of the Indochina War. The pedestal of the bust on the right, *La Laotienne*, bears its original brass plaque engraved with “March 17, 1953 TAN-SON-NHUT,” which is the name of the French Air Force’s main airbase No. 191 in Saigon (Tân Sơn Nhất).
This specific date historically corresponds to the day of Lieutenant General Borgnis Desbordes’s official departure from Saigon for Paris; he served as Inspector of the Overseas Land Forces, which strongly supports the hypothesis that it was either a high-ranking ceremonial gift or a memento marking the end of the campaign.

SAIGONESE WOMAN
The bust on the left depicts a Saigonese woman, a young Vietnamese woman of Annamite ethnicity. The patina shows wear that reveals the color of the bronze (see the photos included in the description).

It bears the official seal in traditional Sino-Vietnamese characters “越南,” meaning Vietnam.

Dimensions:
Height 34 cm
Width 15.5 cm
Depth 17.5 cm

Weight:
Total weight 4,920 g
Base only 990 g
Bronze only 3,930 g

Base dimensions:
Height 11 cm
Width 10.5 cm
Depth 10.5 cm

LAOTIAN WOMAN
The bust on the right depicts a Laotian woman of the Lao ethnic group, with a black patina.
It bears the artist’s recessed seal “清禮,” meaning Thanh Lê.
The base features an engraved brass plaque.
The black patina is generally well-preserved; see the photos included in the description.

Dimensions:
Height 34 cm
Width 15 cm
Depth 19 cm

Weight:
Total weight 3,695 g
Base only 926 g
Bronze only 2,769 g

Base dimensions:
Height 10 cm
Width 10.5 cm
Depth 10.5 cm

Please note that the solid wood bases have a height variation of one centimeter to compensate for a one-centimeter difference in the height of the bronze figures, ensuring an overall height of 34 cm.
They are made from a heavy, high-density exotic wood with tight grain and brown-orange highlights, identified as Gõ Đỏ (Afzelia xylocarpa / Indochinese red teak).
The black lacquer finish shows signs of wear and has some chips; see photos.
The undersides of the bases show cut marks from a traditional fine-toothed hand saw, with reworked corners in multiple directions converging toward the center. The surface is perfectly flat, a testament to the master cabinetmaker’s skill.

More information available upon request
Shipping costs provided upon request