SIGNED & DATED A. TITZE BRONZE SCULPTURE OF A COURT JESTER - CIRCA 1924

Description

SIGNED & DATED A. TITZE BRONZE SCULPTURE OF A COURT JESTER - CIRCA 1924
Measures approximately 3" high by 6 7/8" wide by 4 7/8" deep.
Beautiful and rare sculpture.  Signed "A. Titze 1924" on the back along the base - see photos.
A. Titze was a German (some Bios say he was Austrian) Impressionist & Modern sculptor. A. Titze's work has been offered at auction multiple times.  Since 2011 the record price for A. Titze at auction is ,614 for a cendrier (French word for 'ashtray') sold in 2011 at Christie's London. The cendrier sold at auction was adorned with this same bronze jester although it had some hand painting done to portions of the sculpture. The cendrier had this bronze jester sitting atop the rim of an onyx base which served as the ashtray. Almost certainly, this bronze offered for sale here originally sat on the rim of a similar onyx base.
About Court Jesters:
A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras.
In the courts of kings and queens in medieval
Europe, he was the person whose job was to do silly things in order to make people laugh.
Jesters had their special clothing sense which often helped them to excite their masters and make them laugh. Jesters used to keep their heads shaved while their coats were used to be motley and they used tight breeches.
In general, one leg of their breeches used to be of different color from the other. Jesters used to cover their shaven head with a garment which used to resemble with a monk’s cowl. This garment used to fall over the shoulders and chest of jesters.
Medieval jesters also used to wear a hat which often depicted the ears of an ass. Later on, the ass's tail was also added to the costume of a jester.