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An exceptionally elegant Art Deco period ceramic sculpture of a recumbent seal, designed by celebrated British animal sculptor John Skeaping RA for Wedgwood.
Produced in the 1930s, this model is finished in Wedgwood’s highly sought-after creamware “Moonstone” glaze; a soft, slightly opalescent finish that enhances the sculpture’s streamlined contours and subtle musculature.
The seal is rendered in Skeaping’s distinctive modernist style: sleek, simplified volumes, an elevated sense of poise, and a harmonious blend of anatomical accuracy and stylised restraint. The piece bears the impressed ‘J. SKEAPING’ signature and the Wedgwood Barlaston England mark.
A closely related example of Skeaping’s Wedgwood animal figures (including his horses and deer) is held in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, confirming his contribution to Wedgwood’s modern sculptural line and reinforcing the desirability of his early ceramic designs.
Dimensions: 22 × 21 × 17 cm
Material: Creamware with Moonstone Glaze
Designer: John Skeaping (impressed mark)
Manufacturer: Wedgwood, Barlaston, England
Date: c.1930s
Condition: Excellent vintage condition with gentle age-appropriate surface nuances and light crazing.
Ideal for: Art Deco interiors, British modernist collections, sculpture displays, coastal/marine-inspired rooms, and connoisseurs of Wedgwood’s rare 1930s sculptural output.
Artists Biography
John Skeaping RA (1901–1980) was one of Britain’s leading modernist animal sculptors. Trained at the Royal Academy and British School at Rome, he became known in the Art Deco era for his sleek, stylised figures that blend anatomical precision with elegant, sculptural simplicity.
In the 1930s he collaborated with Wedgwood, creating refined ceramic animal forms—now highly collectible—that brought modern sculpture into the domestic sphere. His work is represented in major collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Tate, and remains prized for its clarity of line and timeless Art Deco aesthetic.
Color
White
Style
Art Deco
Material
Ceramic
Condition
Good
Dimensions (cm)
17.0W x 22.0D x 21.0H
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