World Globe and Airplane Supported by Atlas Figure
Continental: 2nd Quarter 20th Century
Bronze and brass
8.5 inches tall, base 2.5 x 2.5 inches
Plane 1.25 inches long, 1.5 inch wingspan
Sold, please inquire as to the availability of similar items.
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Art Deco allegorical bronze sculpture portraying a man lifting a globe over his head in his upraised left arm. The figure, in a loin cloth holding a scroll stands on a rectangular stepped base with etched decoration. The globe features the continents in low relief and has a brass plane with moveable propeller positioned over Europe.
The sculpture overall is symbolic of the technological triumph of man in aviation. The male figure likely is a contemporary version of Atlas, the mythological ancient Greek Titan. The sculpture might have been a European trophy or presentation for an aviation contest, or relating to commercial aviation. Alternatively, it might have been issued in commemoration or as a souvenir of the pioneering transatlantic flight of Charles Lindbergh in the Spirit of St. Louis. Indeed, the plane resembles the Spirit of St. Louis, although it has guy wires over the wings rather than triangular supports under them.