Tropical Art Deco Jungle Scene Carved Panel on Zebra Wood

Primitivism in modern art may have been the inspiration for this unusual carving. Art Deco Design flourished in Europe and the United States, but drew on many more foreign and exotic themes. African and jungle imagery are often the subject of things done in this style.   Possibly executed in the Belgian Congo and then brought to Belgium where it served as decor over a large bar.  Artist signed by A. Rondi, intricately carved figures and scenes of monkeys, orangutangs, crocodiles, palm trees and a paddle boat gliding on the river make up the scene.

The background is rare Zebra Wood, while the hand carved figures are in relief. This large and evocative piece would bring a touch of the  tropics to a bar, restaurant or home. The Belgian Congo was a  colony in Central Africa between 1908 and 1960 in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and artistic pieces such as these made their way to Europe especially during the 1920s-1950s. The panel is heavy, substantial and beautifully framed.