Sculpture, Art Deco Marabout, Guillemard (1886–1932)

Silver-plated bronze sculpture of a marabout.
Marked by the foundryman Marcel Guillemard, numbered 136. Date: 1925–1930.
Mounted on a glass base.
Dimensions: Height of the bird: 17 cm, total height: 22.5 cm, width: 5 cm, depth: 5 cm. Weight: 950 g.

Our example has two pinhead-sized holes in the neck and at the top of one leg.

Marcel Joseph Henri Guillemard (Paris, September 2, 1886 – Avon, December 19, 1932)
A French decorative artist and sculptor, he established himself as the leading designer and interior decorator at the Primavera workshop of the Printemps department store. He championed personal comfort as a luxury that must be a fundamental part of every home.
At age 15, he enrolled in the Germain Pilon School of Applied Arts. This training opened the doors to the design studios of major Parisian firms. Marcel Guillemard, trained in drawing and interior design, participated in projects to create furniture for palaces, luxury hotels, and even ocean liners.
On October 30, 1917, he was contacted by the director of the Primavera workshop at the Printemps department store, with a view to filling one of the top positions as a designer.
Marcel Guillemard’s career took off, and he never ceased to present new creations at the major annual salons and to expand his responsibilities in line with the principles of the Primavera studio. The official crowning achievement of his career was undoubtedly winning the Grand Prix in 1925 at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, in Class 7—furniture sets.