This is a study of the life and work of Demetre Chiparus, the master of chryselephantine sculpture, and one of Art Deco's greatest sculptors. Born in Romania, Demetre Chiparus (1886-1947) studied in Italy and France, settling in Paris, where he perfected the cryselephantine technique, working in bronze, ivory and other media. Produced as multiples, his works were greatly admired as small-scale decorative objects, and today are considered as some of the best sculpture of the Art Deco period. This illustrated book examines Chiparus's work as an embodiment of the Art Deco style. The author defines Art Deco and its precedents - Art Nouveau, Cubism and Futurism - and describes the various contemporary inspirations for Chiparus's art, including haute couture, the music hall, Diaghilev's ballets, and the stage designs of Leon Bakst. This study of this little-known master, including previously unpublished details about the artist's life, and a chapter on Chiparus's materials and methods, provides useful source material on chryselephantine sculpture.
