Three Anthropological Casts Of African Faces – Dr. Léon Pales – Toulouse, Circa 1930

A set of three polychrome plaster casts, made from live models and depicting three African individuals.
These pieces are associated with the work of Dr. Léon Pales (1905–1988), a Frenchman born in Toulouse.
As a military doctor, Léon Pales spent time in Africa as part of his duties. Alongside his medical practice, he conducted anthropological observations and research. At the time, casting from life was one of the techniques used by anthropologists to preserve a three-dimensional representation of a person’s features.
Léon Pales subsequently pursued a career dedicated to anthropology. His research focused in particular on human anatomy. Part of his work and collections is now preserved in public institutions.

These three casts thus serve as historical records of French anthropology in the first half of the 20th century. They

Dr. Léon Pales (1905–1988)
Toulouse, circa 1930
Cast and polychrome plaster