“Bohemienne” by Emmanuel Villanis

The French sculptor Emmanuel Villanis titled this sculpture “Bohemienne”. A beautiful maiden, with her hair cascading onto her bare shoulders, sits between two inkwells. The base of the inkstand has a shell-shaped receptacles (front and back) and a pen holder. The legs on both sides of the base feature a grotesque face.

The piece is made of spelter with a gold gilt finish and holds two glass inkwells with loose enameled lids.  The design is classic Art Nouveau.

Emmanuel Villanis (12 December 1858 – 28 August 1914) was a French sculptor. He was born in Lille, France, and died in Paris. In 1885, Villanis lived in Paris and became one of the most productive sculptors towards the end of the 19th century. His female bronze busts, cast by the Society de Bronze de Paris, were exported all over the world from Paris, particularly to the United States.