I have a Demetre Chiparus statue that has been in my family for as long as I can remember. She is a ballerina and measures 18 3/4 inches from toe to fingertip ans 25 inches if you include the marble base. She has 4 ivory tear shaped cut outs on her body. She is signed on the marble base and I have been told by many that she is NOT a reproduction. My question is about value. I am very interested in learning more about her. Thank You for your time. Wendy Waitzman otis1477@yahoo.com

-- Wendy Waitzman (otis1477@yahoo.com), July 20, 2003

Answers

"The bronze, ivory and marble statue is the work of Demetre Chiparus (1880-1950), a Romanian sculptor who worked in Paris early in the century," appraiser David McCarron informed her. The heavy influence of the Russian ballet on his work can be seen in the fluid, curvilinear look of his figures. "

"This particular model is known as 'Starfish' and was made in three different sizes. This happens to be the largest, and therefore the rarest. His work is so popular that it continues to be copied today. "Nine out of ten of these we see are copies. We know this one is real because of the fine quality of the casting, the detail work on the body and the detailed carving on the face. You can also see fine cracks in the ivory which are a tell-tale sign of age," said Ms. Subramanium. The appraisers revealed that the piece was .....

-- Jackson Mather (star_agent@postmark.net), July 20, 2003.