Art News

Provocative Elton John Art Deco Piece for Sale at Bonhams

LONDON.- A stunning and provocative Art Deco statuette, ‘The Cigarette Girl, (£20,000 – 30,000) once owned by Elton John is coming up for auction at Bonhams ‘Design from 1860’ sale on Wednesday 16 June. During the 1970s, the singer amassed a high quality art deco collection, sparking a fashion among the rich and famous for work of this period – Barbra Streisand was another deco fan. Much of John’s art deco collection was dispersed at auction in 1988. The bronze and ivory figure shows a self confident young woman, arms crossed, posing playfully and provocatively with her cigarette. Dressed in a remarkably modern way for women of the time (her leather jacket and tight fighting pants – later known as cigarette trousers – bringing to mind the look of Garbo or Deitrich) ‘The Cigarette Girl’ is the work of Brono Zach. Zach specialised in portrayals of women in flirtatious poses and