This is an Art Deco figural flower frog, sometimes known as a "scarf dancer" or "dancing lady" flower frog. These were popular decorative items in the early to mid-20th century, used for arranging flowers. It is a ceramic with a white glaze. The holes in the base are designed to hold flower stems in place for arrangements. The design may have been influenced by famous dancers of the era, such as Anna Pavlova.
The Pavlova flower frog figure in clouds was designed in 1925 after dancer Anna Pavlova, by R. Guy Cowan and Walter Sinz. Sinz was Cowan's sculpture professor at the Cleveland School of Art where he taught from 1911 to 1952. According to the Cowan Museum, Sinz fashioned a crouching nude figure which he gifted to Cowan. It is said that this figure inspired the numerous flower frog figurines later produced by Cowan Pottery.
A historical context is that from about 1920-1925 to the mid 1950's flower arranging became very popular with housewives. It was all the rage to have a lovely flower arrangement in the home or on the table. The age old problem was 'how does one arrange those flowers to stand upright without a vase?' Enter the 'flower frog'. A flower frog is a device made of pottery with holes in the base into which one inserts the stems of flowers and places it in a shallow bowl filled with water.
Measures: 5" high by 5" wide by 5" deep
Condition: Excellent condition with no chips, cracks or repairs.
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