FRANZ GRUBER (AUSTRIAN, 1878-1945), A PATINATED ART NOUVEAU BRONZE BUST STUDY OF A LADY WRITING IN A BOOK
FIRST QUARTER 20TH CENTURY
10.5cm high, 18cm wide, 12.5cm deep

TOGETHER WITH A collection of egg form marble hand coolers, 20th century, in a 1960s Holmngaard studio glass circular bowl, 8cm high

Hand Coolers: Small, cooled, egg-shaped item originally made of porcelain, marble, glass or crystal and just slightly smaller than an actual egg would be nestled in the palms of Victorian ladies to ward off the possibility of the social humiliation of a wet, warm handshake.

Since extending one's hand was the common gesture for the invitation to dance, hand coolers became invaluable as during that time it was unacceptable for ladies to have hot, sweaty hands. In France during this time period, it was expected that a ladies' hand would be cool and dry when kissed in greeting by an admiring male. This simple fact was made all the more problematic by the fact that women wore layers upon layers of clothing as part of the Victorian fashions, trapping in body heat. One means of dealing with this problem was the hand cooler.

Condition Report:
PLEASE NOTE: ALL LOTS ARE LOCATED AT SACKVILLE WEST STORAGE IN ANDOVER (SP10 3SA) AND ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO VIEW

With wear, marks, knocks and scratches as per age, handling, use, and cleaning
Patina to the bronze lady
The marble eggs with natural variation due to the nature of the material
The egg with metal and beaded detailing is missing some beads
Glass bowl with some surface scratches

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Condition Report Disclaimer