Villa Melrose Folk Art

A very fine pair of early 19th century carved figures, of Court Jesters These bearded gentlemen have been superbly carved in the finest detail, they original came from a piece of ea...

Stone spheres as these where made from antiquity to the present day. As a universal form it served as a ornamental object in gardens, architecture and interiors but also had a deeper...

18th century French or Italian Santo Nativity Figure, a hand carved and painted fruitwood figure for a Christmas Crèche or Krippe. Excellent and delicate details to the head and hands. The half figure stands on a dowel set into platform base, dressed in original fine linen robe...

You just got to love this guy! A wacky looking bearded Indian pipe head. Probably 19th century France. Beautifully carved by a artisan with a sense of humor.

A Memento Mori in wood with Chrismon, monogram of Christ. Valuable sculpture in fruit wood in almost true-to-life measurements, sculpted with art and finished with a wealth of details. The wood was covered with a thin layer of pellet and finished in color. Immediately above the forehead, in correspondence with the anterior neonatal fontanel, the CHRISMON is painted in purple red. The monogram of Christ or Chi Rho (or CHRISMON) is a combination of letters from the Greek alphabet, which form an abbreviation of the name of Christ. Solar in nature, often inscribed in a circle with multiple rays reminiscent of the cosmic wheel deriving from the ancient solar emblems of Egypt. The symbol consists of two large overlapping letters, the 'X' and the 'P'. They correspond, respectively, to the Greek letter '?' ('chi', which reads kh, aspirated) and '?' ('rho', which reads r). These two letters are the initials of the word '???st??' (Khristòs ), the name of Jesus, which in Greek means "anointed" and translates the Hebrew "messiah". On the sides of these two letters, there are very often two others: one 'a' and one '?', alpha and omega...

19th century carved wooden deer’s head We are proud to offer a delightful example of a 19th century hand carved German deer’s head. This ite...

This bronze head sculpture signed by artist O. Ramsburg can be displayed as an elegant table top art piece.

A very handsome pair of late 16th-early 17th century Pinnacle fragments in polychromed wood. Wonderful architectural elements as they are or perfectly suited to convert into lamps. T...

A lovely angel, his right hand extended as if to touch something or hold something. He appears very calm and peaceful, clothed in a partial shroud which is draped over his shoulder...

A large carved and polychrome painted tobacconist's figure almost certainly 17th or early 18th century For a related example see Edward H. Pinto, Treen and other Wooden Bygones, Bell and Hyman, London 1969. Page 412, plate 436. Originally this may well have been a tobacconist's shop window figure. For a similar, but slightly earlier unpainted example, see Sotheby's, The W. J. Shepherd collection of treen, 30th November 1983, Lot 393, illustrated in Pinto "Wooden Bygones of Smoking and Snuff Taking", plate 1. Carved wooden figures, often painted, were placed outside tobacconist's shops as signs from the 17th century onwards. The earliest of these figures is the 'black boy' or 'blackamoor'. 'At the sign of the black boy' or 'at the sign of the blackamoor' was a popular address for tobacconists since the early 17th century. The 17th century figures...

Fine metal painted head horse on horseshoe, circa 1890.  

Beautiful ancient bronze head of Buddha, late 19th century. Good conditions, it rests on a green marble base. This artwork is shipped from Italy. ...