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Artist: Attributed to Jean-Pierre Maury (French, 1932–2021)
Title: Modernist Harlequin (Arlecchino) Mask
Period: Mid-20th century
Origin: France
Dimensions: 5.25" H x 6" W x 3.9" D
Condition: Good; light craquelure, edge softening, and minor pigment loss consistent with age.
Provenance: Private collection, Europe
Description:
Attributed to Jean-Pierre Maury (1932–2021). A hand-molded papier-mâché mask reinterpreting the Harlequin archetype from the Commedia dell'arte tradition through a Modernist perspective. The stand pictured is not included.
Maury, the last known practitioner of traditional life and death mask casting in Paris, began his career in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés cabaret scene of the 1950s before transitioning to sculptural molding. He collaborated with Salvador Dalí and César Baldaccini, contributed to César's Expansions series, and produced over 400 plaster effigies for cinema, including The Longest Day. His works are held by the CNRS, the Musée de l'Homme, and the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme, among other institutional and private collections.
