Gaston Hauchecorne "the Mischievous Old Man" Pair Of Terracotta Bookends Signed 1927

HAUCHECORNE (Gaston) – The mischievous old man.
Pair of natural terracotta bookends signed at the tip on the base "G. Hauchecorne" and on the heels in hollow rectangles: "Atelier G. Hauchecorne, Artist's Proof, controlled, 1927 + initials GH" on one and “Artist Proof 1927 + initials GH 27-1 + Atelier Hauchecorne” on the other.
Dusty on the surface, very good condition without any shine otherwise.
Dimensions: H. 170 – l. 110 mm – D. 100 mm.
The models represent an old gentleman with a bald head and long hair on the nape of his neck, with a smile and mischievous look, hands crossed, thumbs under his chin and little fingers outstretched.
The model is similar for the 2 bookends, with the exception of the gaze (on the right for one and on the left for the other).
The majority of the artist's production is about Chinese characters, which is not the case here.
Born in Le Havre in 1880 and died in Paris in 1945, Hauchecorne was a professor and interpreter in Beijing before occupying the post of director of the consulate in Chongqing (Sichuan). From the 1920s, he exhibited at the famous Salon des Artistes Français and participated in the Marseille Colonial Exhibition of 1922. The models were then made in terracotta or bronze. Spotted by the art dealer Arthur Goldscheider, Hauchecorne joined the group of sculptors “La Stèle” which included among its members Henri Bouchard, Max Blondat and Paul Landowski. Their work was exhibited in 1925 under the title "Art Déco" in a pavilion designed by the architect and decorator Eric Bagge at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts.