French wicker bull’s head, mid-20th century

Hand-woven wicker bull’s head, France, mid-20th century. Naturalistically modelled in willow, with a clear change of technique between the head — closely worked in standard randing — and the horns and ears, finished in a finer diagonal weave over a shaped core. The eyes are formed from neat applied loops and the muzzle is left open at the nostrils, giving the piece real presence on the wall. Decorative wickerwork of this kind belongs to the southern French country tradition: a folk-art counterpart to the taxidermy trophy, evoking the black bulls of the Camargue and the corridas of Arles and Nîmes. Pieces of this scale and quality were made by anonymous regional vannerie workshops through the 1950s and 60s and have become emblematic of a certain Provençal interior. In very good honest condition throughout, with a warm aged patina to the willow and only minor surface wear consistent with age. Hangs flat to the wall via an integral loop. France, c. 1950s.