Ceramic Figurative Sculptures

Artist: (Garo) Karapet Balakeseryan Medium: Ceramic, Clay, Handmade, One of a Kind Year: 2023 Style: Classic, Impressionism, Subject: Portrai...

Waylande Gregory (American, 1905-1971) Polo Player, c. 1930s Ceramic Inscribed signature on bottom 11 x 8.5 inches Waylande Gregory was considered a major American sculptor during the 1930's, although he worked in ceramics, rather than in the more traditional bronze or marble. Exhibiting his ceramic works at such significant American venues for sculpture as the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City and at the venerable Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, he also showed his ceramic sculptures at leading New York City galleries. Gregory was the first modern ceramist to create large scale ceramic sculptures, some measuring more than 70 inches in height. Similar to the technique developed by the ancient Etruscans, he fired his monumental ceramic sculptures only once. Gregory was born in 1905 in Baxter Springs, Kansas and was something of a prodigy. Growing up on a ranch near a Cherokee reservation, Gregory first became interested in ceramics as a child during a native American burial that he had witnessed. He was also musically inclined. In fact, his mother had been a concert pianist and had given her son lessons. At eleven, he was enrolled as a student at the Kansas State Teacher's College, where he studied carpentry and crafts, including ceramics. Gregory's early development as a sculptor was shaped by the encouragement and instruction of Lorado Taft, who was considered both a major American sculptor as well as a leading American sculpture instructor. In fact, Taft's earlier students included such significant sculptors as Bessie Potter Vonnoh and Janet Scudder. But, Taft and his students had primarily worked in bronze or stone, not in clay; and, Gregory's earliest sculptural works were also not in ceramics. In 1924, Gregory moved to Chicago where he caught the attention of Taft. Gregory was invited by Taft to study with him privately for 18 months and to live and work with him at his famed "Midway Studios." The elegant studio was a complex of 13 rooms that overlooked a courtyard. Taft may have been responsible for getting the young man interested in creating large scale sculpture. However, by the 1920's, Taft's brand of academic sculpture was no longer considered progressive. Instead, Gregory was attracted to the latest trends appearing in the United States and Europe. In 1928 he visited Europe with Taft and other students. "Kid Gregory," as he was called, was soon hired by Guy Cowan, the founder of the Cowan Pottery in Cleveland, Ohio, to become the company's only full time employee. From 1928 to 1932, Gregory served as the chief designer and sculptor at the Cowan Pottery. Just as Gregory learned about the process of creating sculpture from Taft, he literally learned about ceramics from Cowan. Cowan was one of the first graduates of Alfred, the New York School of Clayworking and Ceramics. Alfred had one of the first programs in production pottery. Cowan may have known about pottery production, but he had limited sculptural skills, as he was lacking training in sculpture. The focus of the Cowan Pottery would be on limited edition, table top or mantle sculptures. Two of the most successful of these were Gregory's "Nautch Dancer," (fig. 1) and his "Burlesque Dancer," (fig. 2). He based both sculptures on the dancing of Gilda Gray, a Ziegfield Follies girl. Gilda Gray was of Polish origin and came to the United States as a child. By 1922, she would become one of the most popular stars in the Follies. After losing her assets in the stock market crash of 1929, she accepted other bookings outside of New York, including Cleveland, which was where Gregory first saw her onstage. She allowed Gregory to make sketches of her performances from the wings of the theatre. She explained to Gregory, "I'm too restless to pose." Gray became noted for her nautch dance, an East Indian folk dance. A nautch is a tight, fitted dress that would curl at the bottom and act like a hoop. This sculpture does not focus on Gray's face at all, but is more of a portrait of her nautch dance. It is very curvilinear, really made of a series of arches that connect in a most feminine way. Gregory created his "Burlesque Dancer" at about the same time as "Nautch Dancer." As with the "Nautch Dancer," he focused on the movements of the body rather than on a facial portrait of Gray. Although Gregory never revealed the identity of his model for "Burlesque Dancer," a clue to her identity is revealed in the sculpture's earlier title, "Shimmy Dance." The dancer who was credited for creating the shimmy dance was also Gilda Gray. According to dance legend, Gray introduced the shimmy when she sang the "Star Spangled Banner" and forgot some of the lyrics, so, in her embarrassment, started shaking her shoulders and hips but she did not move her legs. Such movement seems to relate to the "Burlesque Dancer" sculpture, where repeated triangular forms extend from the upper torso and hips. This rapid movement suggests the influence of Italian Futurism, as well as the planar motion of Alexander Archipenko, a sculptor whom Gregory much admired. The Cowan Pottery was a victim of the great depression, and in 1932, Gregory changed careers as a sculptor in the ceramics industry to that of an instructor at the Cranbrook Academy in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Cranbrook was perhaps the most prestigious place to study modern design in America. Its faculty included the architect Eliel Saarinen and sculptor Carl Milles. Although Gregory was only at Cranbrook for one and one half years, he created some of his finest works there, including his "Kansas Madonna" (fig. 3). But, after arriving at Cranbrook, the Gregory's had to face emerging financial pressures. Although Gregory and his wife were provided with complimentary lodgings, all other income had to stem from the sale of artworks and tuition from students that he, himself, had to solicit. Gregory had many people assisting him with production methods at the Cowan Pottery, but now worked largely by himself. And although he still used molds, especially in creating porcelain works, many of his major new sculptures would be unique and sculpted by hand, as is true of "Kansas Madonna." The scale of Gregory's works were getting notably larger at Cranbrook than at Cowan. Gregory left the surface of "Kansas Madonna" totally unglazed. Although some might object to using a religious title to depict a horse nursing its colt, it was considered one of Gregory's most successful works. In fact, it had a whole color page illustration in an article about ceramic sculpture titled, "The Art with the Inferiority Complex," Fortune Magazine, December, 1937. The article notes the sculpture was romantic and expressive and the sculpture was priced at $1,500.00; the most expensive sculpture in the article. Gregory was from Kansas, and "Kansas Madonna" should be considered a major sculptural document of Regionalism. Gregory and his wife Yolande moved to New Jersey in the summer of 1933. And the artist began construction on his new home in the Watchung Mountains of Bound Brook (Warren today) in 1938. His enormous, custom kiln was probably constructed at the start of 1938. Gregory's new sculptures were the largest ceramic sculptures in western art, in modern times. To create these works of ceramic virtuosity, the artist developed a "honeycomb" technique, in which an infrastructure of compartments was covered by a ceramic "skin." Science and atomic energy were a theme in Gregory's most significant work, the "Fountain of the Atom" (fig. 4), at the 1939 New York's World Fair. This major work included twelve monumental ceramic figures at the fairground entrance from the newly constructed railway entrance, giving the work great visibility and prominence. The framework of the fountain itself was of steel and glass bricks. It consisted of a bluish green pool which was sixty five feet in diameter. Above it were two concentric circular tiers, or terraces, as Gregory called them; the first wider than the second. On the first terrace were eight "Electrons," comprised of four male and four female terra cotta figures, each approximately 48 inches high. These relate to the valance shell of the atom. Above them on a narrower terrace, were the much larger and heavier terra cotta figures depicting the four elements, each averaging about 78 inches in height and weighing about a ton and a half. Of the four, "Water" and "Air" were male, while "Earth" and "Fire" were female. This terrace represents the nucleus of the atom. In the center of the fountain, above the "Elements," was a central shaft comprised of sixteen glass tubes from which water tumbled down from tier to tier. At the top, a colorful flame burned constantly. The glass block tiers were lit from within, the whole creating a glowing and gurgling effect. Since the fair was temporary, the figures could be removed after its closing. But the credit for the design of the structure of the fountain belongs to collaborator Nembhard Culin, who was responsible for several other structures on the fair grounds as well. Although Gregory created a figure of "Fire" for the "Fountain of the Atom," he also executed a second, slightly smaller but more defined version which he exhibited at various locations (including Cranbrook, Baltimore Museum, etc.) in 1940-1941, during the second year of the fair (fig.5). Measuring 61 inches in height, "Fire" may be a metaphor for sexual energy, as well as atomic energy. Gregory stated, "Fire is represented by an aquiline female figure being consumed in endless arabesques of flame." Portraiture was also a significant focus of Gregory's sculpture. Gregory produced many commissioned portraits of local people as well as celebrities. He created Albert Einstein's portrait from life (fig. 6, ca. 1940) after Einstein had seen Gregory's "Fountain of the Atom." He also sculpted some of the leading figures in entertainment, including 2 sculptures of Henry Fonda, who became a personal friend. Gregory also sculpted a series of idealized female heads, both in terra cotta and in porcelain. These include "Girl with Olive" (ca. 1932) and "Cretan Girl;"(ca. 1937) both are very reductive and almost abstract works that call to mind Constantine Brancusi's "Mademoiselle Pogany" (1912, Philadelphia Museum of Art). But perhaps one of his most original female heads is "Head of a Child" (fig. 7, ca. 1933), a sensitive white glazed terra cotta portrayal with elaborately crafted braded hair, was originally created as one of a pair. Gregory also produced sculptural works for the Works Progress Administration. The WPA was a work relief project that greatly helped artists during the great depression. Founded by the Federal Government in 1935, an estimated 2500 murals were produced. Among these public works were the iconic post office murals. But, among the painted murals were also sculptural relief murals including Gregory's "R.F.D.," 1938, for the Columbus, Kansas Post Office. But, Gregory's largest WPA relief...

Tribute to Jean Arp. This decorative piece has been painted by hand on glazed porcelain with an intense red color. Jean Arp Sargadelos Porcelain Vase. last quarter 20th Century sign...

Moonstruck 1994 3D porcelain ceramic plate. limited edition. Red Grooms (born Charles Rogers Grooms on June 7, 1937) is an American multimedia artist best known for his colorful pop-art constructions depicting frenetic scenes of modern urban life. Grooms was given the nickname "Red" by Dominic Falcone (of Provincetown's Sun Gallery) when he was starting out as a dishwasher at a restaurant in Provincetown and was studying with Hans Hofmann. Grooms was born in Nashville, Tennessee during the middle of the Great Depression. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, then at Nashville's Peabody College. In 1956, Grooms moved to New York City, to enroll at the New School for Social Research. A year later, Grooms attended a summer session at the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts in Provincetown, Massachusetts. There he met experimental animation pioneer Yvonne Andersen, with whom he collaborated on several short films. Grooms follows in the tradition of William Hogarth and Honoré Daumier, who were canny commentators on the human condition. In 1969, Peter Schjeldahl compared Grooms to Marcel Duchamp, because both embodied "a movement of one man that is open to everybody." In the spring of 1958, Grooms, Yvonne Andersen and Lester Johnson each painted twelve-foot by twelve-foot panels, which they erected with telephone poles on a parking lot adjacent an amusement park in Salisbury, MA. Inspired by artist-run spaces such as New York's Hansa Gallery and Phoenix, and Provincetown's Sun Gallery, Grooms and painter Jay Milder opened the City Gallery in Grooms' second-floor loft in the Flatiron District. When Phoenix refused to show Claes Oldenburg, Grooms and Milder dropped out of Phoenix and City Gallery presented Oldenberg's first New York exhibition, as well as that of Jim Dine. Other artists who showed at City Gallery include Stephen Durkee, Mimi Gross (daughter of Chaim Gross and Red grooms wife), Bob Thompson, Lester Johnson, and Alex Katz. Inspired by George Méliès's 1902 film A Trip to the Moon...

This 22.44" x 7.87" x 5.91" figurative sculpture by Armenia-based artist ArmanH was created using materials such as bronze, glass and ceramic. The artist has placed a fragile piece o...

Woman breastfeeding her child Unique terracotta sculpture Coming from the artist's studio Born in 1939, Seyni CAMARA is an African artist whose works travel the world. Senegalese, ...

WIFREDO LAM Untitled, 1976 Ceramic 16 in Provenance: Galleria Nuovo Sagittario, Milan. Private Collection. IL PONTE Casa d’ Aste. Arte Moderna e contemporanea, 27 may 2026. Lot 266....

Painted marble sculpture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his childhoo...

As all of you will know, every Meissen figure is painted individually by an artist. While all Meissen is of high quality, I feel that the present figure is particularly fine, with th...

A lovely hand modelled sculpture in bas relief, depicting the head of a smiling young Parisian lady with a gleam in her eyes. The work dates from from the Belle Epoque, the art nouv...

Pair of large terracotta sculptures depicting a scene with two villagers, France, Paris workshop, second half of the 17th century. In the 17th century, Italy, and to a lesser ext...

Painted Terracotta sculture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his child...

The sculpture is signed below. Monika Zadurska-Bielak, Graduated from the studio of Prof. Franciszek Duszeńko at the Faculty of Sculpture of the Acade...

Hugely fun and collectible, Moonstruck, created by Red Grooms in 1994, is a three-dimensional printed porcelain plate with applied porcelain, cutouts, rhinestones, and vinyl cord. Wi...

​Interesting Pop Art tile Sculpture plaque by Guillermo Wagner Granizo (American, 1923-1995). A colorful woman with a beehive hairdo is surround by a fe...

(MADE TO ORDER) (Sabbath, Kiddush, Unique, Gold Luster) *Lead Time may vary between 1-3 weeks Melanie Sherman "Just A Little Tipsy" Year: 2021 Porcelain, Glaze, ChinaPaint, 24k Germ...

Modèle de maquette de dyslexie disloquée is a unique smoke-fired stoneware sculpture by French contemporary artist Cécile Raynal, dimensions are 170 × 163 × 130 cm (66.9 × 64.1 × 51....

Glazed ceramic signed the face opens and closes to give way to an inner space

Miniature wall sculpture created by Ruth Vidal, currently part of the "Côte à Côte" exhibition at the Vilaño de Camariñas Lighthouse, on the Galician Costa da Morte. The artist focus...

The three series that make up her thesis show all center around the woman as an art historical trope who becomes a contemporary archetype of tenderness and tenacity with her own narrative. The tradition of the woman as muse or object is questioned and turned upside down as she gives her women the position of subject, i.e., the position of power. The jars, which uphold pairs of women, are the ultimate overturn of male dominance as she removes and replaces all male characters from famous artworks with women. The couples care for one another and are so consumed in their connection that the viewer is ignored. They do not exist for the viewer’s fantasy because their desires are already fulfilled. Through these three bodies of work, she creates archival objects which combine to build a narrative of women’s power, based on the Love Ethic, as discussed by bell hooks in her book, All About Love. Furthermore, notions of power are investigated in tandem with Mary Follett’s writings on power, which delineate Western conception as power-over, and the feminist ideal as power-with. Alex Hodge...

Her poetic porcelain plates examine and reimagine the history of art in a way that values ​​women not only in body, but in wholeness, power, and love. Focusing on the narrative quali...

Cobalt carbonate-glazed Buño clay head sculpture evokes organic textures and introspective narratives in Aldonza’s “Testas” series. This hand-built ceramic bust (33 × 20 × 25 cm) is ...

Painted Terracotta sculpture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his chil...

Allyson George Not the Priceless Historical Ceramic Jar! (Funny, Witty, Installation) Porcelain, glaze, stoneware, enamel spray paint, epoxy Year: 2025 Size Large Sitting Cup: 20 x 1...

Contemporary Figurative Ceramic Sculpture, Stoneware, Underglaze Paint, A Little Shy Raised and trained in both Ukraine and Poland, Janina Myronova builds highly stylized figurative...

Set of 7 terracotta sculptures realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition.

c. 1987 Ceramic plate 36.3 x 45 x 4cm Unique artwork Excellent condition Grayson Perry (b.1960) is an English artist renowned for his diverse body of work, including ceramics, tap...

Her poetic porcelain plates examine and reimagine the history of art in a way that values ​​women not only in body, but in wholeness, power, and love. Focusing on the narrative quali...

Wolf's Dream is a unique smoke-fired stoneware sculpture sculpture by French contemporary artist Cécile Raynal, dimensions are 180 × 45 × 45 cm (70.9 × 17.7 × 17.7 in). Dimensions in...

This sculpture from Linda Stein’s Knights of Protection series functions both as a defender in battle and a symbol of pacifism. Stein's works are in mor...

A monumental expressionist ceramic head sculpture where clay takes on the appearance of weathered stone, blurring the boundaries between portrait, geology and landscape. Created in h...

Vestibule des pommes (with Martin) is a unique smoke-fired stoneware sculpture by French contemporary artist Cécile Raynal, dimensions are 46 × 57 × 19 cm (18.1 × 22.4 × 7.5 in). Dim...

2025 Glazed ceramic with a unique AI generated image 32 × 24.5 × 2.5 cm Unique artwork Created by Grayson Perry and published by the Wallace Collection Stamped on the reverse Mint ...

Akiko Hirai 5 'Morandi' Bottles, 2022 Grogged stoneware, white glaze. Tallest 29 cm 11.4 in

XXth 4 x 14 x 12.5 cm Glazed ceramic signed under the piece

Hannah Schelb Tokos(phobos) Shuttle Ceramic, Cone 5 Oxidation, Aluminum Wire, Kanthal Wire 2025 39.5 x 31.5 x 33 inches (100.3 x 80 x 83.82 cm) Signed COA provided *Assembly require...

Painted Terracotta sculpture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his chil...

Painted Terracotta sculture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his child...

Cool colors and fun inventive faces are the essence of this totem

This masterwork is exhibited in the Zimmerman Gallery, Carmel CA. Please note: The base is not included. We will guide you through a simple installation process for outdoor or indoo...

Stone sculture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Hand carved. Very Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his...

Painted Terracotta sculpture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his chil...

Ilona Romule Decorated Plate (Porcelain, Latvia, Dish, Smooth Texture, Translucent, White Gold) Porcelain, Glaze, Chinapaint, Overglaze Decoration Year...

At the edge (with Maurice) is a unique smoke-fired stoneware sculpture by French contemporary artist Cécile Raynal, dimensions are 155 × 128 × 58 cm (61 × 50.4 × 22.8 in). Dimensions...

Painted Terracotta sculpture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his chil...

Painted Terracotta sculpture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his chil...

"Brick" is a unique piece by Eustace Mamba measures approx. 4.5"h" x 2.5"w x 5"d. Mamba creates an abstract portrait from found material, sewn canvas, acrylic, and oil paint. This sc...

Muy original botijo pintado por el artista Jordi Curós Representando una escena sardanista Firmado en la base Estado aceptable Medidas totales: 21 cm altura x 13 cm mas ancho x 1...

Unique terracotta sculpture Coming from the artist's studio Born in 1939, Seyni CAMARA is an African artist whose works travel the world. She died in 2026. Senegalese, originally f...

This cup is one of 48 that make up the installation, “Fragments of Our Love Story.” These cups feature feminine forms which recall the Venus of Willendorf and other historical fertil...

The portraits, loaded with symbolic imagery, gaze out at the viewer, with a variety of intensities and emotions. This is to say, each woman has a story, which may not be directly evi...

Sandra and the beaks is a unique smoke-fired stoneware and pigments sculpture by French contemporary artist Cécile Raynal, dimensions are 170 × 50 × 54 cm (66.9 × 19.7 × 21.3 in). Di...

Painted Terracotta sculpture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his chil...

Painted Terracotta sculture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his child...

This vessel is the first of the Unsung Muses series, and it references two compositions by Cezanne in which women are seen bathing, undisturbed by the voyeurism of the artist and/or viewer. However, in my version, the two women on the “back” are staring straight out at the audience as if they are perturbed by our interruption. The text reads from front to back, “we are not here for / your viewing pleasure.” This piece is meant to speak to the way women are constantly objectified and ogled for male gratification while offering a firm statement on our autonomy. Unsung Muses is a group of large-scale vessels, wall pieces, and small sculptures which comprised a solo exhibition at the University of Georgia's School of Art in October 2015. The works were accompanied by an excerpt from an Adrienne Rich poem titled "Transcendental Etude." The excerpt reads: "But in fact we were always like this, rootless, dismembered: knowing it makes the difference. Birth stripped our birthright from us, tore us from a woman, from women, from ourselves so early on and the whole chorus throbbing at our ears like midges, told us nothing, nothing of origins, nothing we needed to know, nothing that could re-member us." Alex Hodge...

This miniature paper sculpture titled "MY WILLY" is an original artwork by Drew Leshko made of paper, acrylic, inkjet prints, basswood, wire, PVC plastic, pastel, and clay. Through s...

Marble sculpture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Very Good condition. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his childhood y...

Painted ceramic sculpture realized by Sirio Pellegrini in 1960s. Good condition except for a minor chip on one of the edges. Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abr...

The portraits, loaded with symbolic imagery, gaze out at the viewer, with a variety of intensities and emotions. This is to say, each woman has a story, which may not be directly evi...

This sculptural jar features two women gazing at one another in a domestic setting, which is signaled by the seated figure’s chair and the jar’s pattern ...