Pair of 1950s French Industrial Zinc Stencils in Wooden Frames - 33¾" x 16¼"

This unique pair of industrial zinc stencils from the 1950s is a striking relic of mid-century French craftsmanship. Originally used in workshops or factories for marking textiles or printing posters, each piece bears the traces of time and repeated use: ghosts of shapes and patterns softened by wear. Upon closer inspection, one can make out delicate floral elements, petals, leaves, and stems, hinting at the refined motifs they once helped create.

Each stencil would have been used for a single color, with additional layers completed using separate stencils to form a full, multicolored composition. The zinc surfaces display irregular patina and painterly residue, while the dark wooden frames add contrast and structure, turning utilitarian tools into unexpected works of art.

These stencils possess a quiet, evocative poetry. The delicate silhouettes of floral forms appear abstract and dreamlike, inviting the viewer to imagine the original compositions they helped produce. The raw textures and layered patina create a visual rhythm that feels both graphic and ghostly, as if time itself has become part of the design. The bold contrast of the blackened zinc gives them a powerful presence: striking and sculptural on the wall, they command attention as statement pieces while whispering stories of their utilitarian past.