Boy and Girl 60s Wall Masks

Vintage
US$95.00
Item number: 4486

This charming pair of wandmaskes {wall masks} comes from the workshops of the German company Achatit Werkstätten, founded in 1948 by a merchant named Hans Schirmer and the sculptor Peter Ludwig. They trademarked a new material, which, according to company records, was made with a combination of finely ground rock and wood. Flour was stirred in with the addition of other binders and boiled. Poured into plaster molds and then cooled, they were painted and/or gilded, then polished with agate stones. The word agate is "achat" in German, which is how both the material and the company got their names. Their non-ceramic decorative wall masks that are often mistaken as ceramic were first presented at the Frankfurt Spring Fair in 1949. They were one of the major producers in the 1950s and 1960s of the wildly popular wall masks, sculptures and plaques that decorated so many modern homes of those eras.


These masks were painted in the company's "terracotta'" color. The young boy with his textured green ball cap, brim jauntily turned up in front, is 9 1/2 inches tall and about 5 inches across at the widest point. He projects 3 1/2 inches out from the wall and weighs a bit under a pound. The long-haired girl with bangs is about 7 inches at the widest point across, 10 inches from top to bottom and projects 3 1/2 inches from the wall. She is a bit heavier at 1 pounds 6 ounces. Both are somewhat larger in size than many of the Achatit masks.

The boy mask has the catalog model # 1201 impressed into back, along with the word "Achatit." The girl mask has "Achatit" only impressed on the back. Both have 2 foil labels, the Achatit label that features a drawing of a sculpted head and the other label that reads" HANDARBEIT handiwork made in germany copyright."

These beautiful wall masks are in excellent condition, retaining their glossy finish, with a few tiny chips on the back from rubbing against the wall. There are no cracks or repairs and virtually no wear to the painted finishes. They're perfect for that spot on your wall where a painting or print just won't do.

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PYH 4486