Sculptures

A gorgeous slab of vibrant lapis lazuli. Lapis lazuli inclides lazurite (intense blue), calcite (white veins) and pyrite (gold flecks). Prized since ancient times, this is a wonder...

NWA 12759 Stone, Chondrite - L5 18.3 KG “This specimen of the NWA 12759 L5 chondrite has a smooth posterior fusion crust where meteoritic melt pooled as the rock descended through the atmosphere and was heated by friction with molecules of air. The meteorite is from the L-chondrite asteroid that was destroyed by an energetic collision 470 million years ago.” Dr Alan E. Rubin, PhD Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, UCLA Detached from its parent body by a mighty impact, this large, oriented meteorite travelled over a hundred million miles through space before falling to Earth in the North African desert. Beautiful regmaglypts radiate from the apex of its cone shaped nose. These elongated dimples formed when streaks of superheated molten rock streamed off the meteor’s surface as it blazed through the atmosphere. The entire piece is coated in a glossy, umber-coloured fusion crust and close examination reveals remnants of encrusted, orange dirt. Whilst most meteors tumble as they travel through the Earth’s atmosphere, oriented meteorites...

Libyan Desert Glass Circa 29 Million y/o Height: 9.5 cm A beautiful, tactile piece of yellow glass, found between the high crested dunes of the Libyan De...

This is a curated collection of Dansk Pepper Mills Designed to be displayed symmetrically to resemble one side of a chess board. All of the grinders ...

Unclassified Meteorite Stone Height: 36.83 cm 42.5 kg A dramatic extraterrestrial sculpture, of monolithic form, covered in a thick grey-brown fusion crust and with areas of sandy deposits from untold years spent on the desert floor. Formed in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter during the formation of our solar system, some 4.55 billion years ago, this large stone would have been separated from its parent body by an enormous impact before journeying through interplanetary space and eventually reaching Earth. Upon atmospheric entry it would have reached cosmic velocity, heating the surrounding air to 1700°C and producing a large ball of fire. The heat was sufficient to melt the outer surface of the stone, exposing a new surface which in turn also melted away, losing as much as 95% of its initial mass before reaching the ground. The last molten layer to form as it collided with the Earth covered the stone in a layer of fusion crust, evidence of the incredible impact force delivered by this extraordinary specimen. “This unclassified stone meteorite was found in Northwest Africa. It has a relatively smooth, dark brown, slightly weathered fusion crust; some small melt veins are visible on the surface. Due to the near-absence of terrestrial rocks in this region of the Sahara, meteorite hunting in this area has yielded many notable discoveries.” Dr Alan E. Rubin, PhD Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences...

Life sized brass and copper sculpture of a walrus created by Sergio Bustamante of Mexico circa 1960’s. Part of his magical menagerie of polished brass creatures. Very good condition ...

Mid-Century Modern alpha cube sculpture by Sheldon Rose. Great Mid-Century Modern Sheldon Rose alpha cube sculpture, circa 1968. This Brutalist cub...

This beautifully patinated bronze figure of Yoga Narasimha, the fourth incarnation of Vishnu as a man-lion is from Kashmir in North India. Nara means man and simha means lion. He is ...

Marvel at the striking beauty of this vibrant fluorite specimen from the USA, adorned with stunning cubic formations. The deep purple hue of the fluorite crystals contrasts beautiful...

Beautiful large Baroque angel-wing with its original color and gilding. Extremely rare to find in this size. Very decorative item placed on a wooden base. Italy, circa 1750. Weathere...

A wonderful vintage ceramiche / pottery lion sculpture by Aldo Londi for Bitossi Raymor, circa 1960s. The piece is in very good vintage condition with a brown rustic terra cota like ...

Grotesque theatrical mask of Maccus Late Hellenistic or Early Imperial period, circa 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D., likely from Southern Italy. Terracotta with remains of pin...

Wonderful period piece. Beautiful weathered Neoclassical hand carved oak caryatid angel figure. Weathered. france circa 1780 H:34,5cm W:10cm D:5,5cm

A stunning deep purple amethyst cluster with unusually high peaked crystals on metal stand. The polished frame shows mineral layers developing from the rough basalt, to the grey/blue...

Handmade Tile Bull TORO Figurine Sculpture Unmarked. In the style of Mexican artist Genaro Alvarez. Mosaic bull is handcrafted with a rainbow of ...

Sculptural 18th century Italian mecca fragment candlestick with a fossil shell and wulfenite on a polished calcite base. The fragment was originally p...

“This 149-gram slice of the Gadamis 004 lunar meteorite contains a wide variety of sizes of light-colored angular anorthositic clasts. These silicate c...

A truly beautiful hand-blown Murano glass transparent bowl blown in an uneven 'wobbly' shape with beautiful folds and curves. This bowl is in good condition.

This meteorite was acquired from the Bethany Sciences collection and was once a part of the private collection of Meteorite Man Robert A. Haag. It includes an informational Certifica...

Stunning handcarved wooden head fragment with beautiful expression and glass eyes, Italy, circa 1750-1800. Beautiful example of 18th century craftsmanship. Weathered Measurement ...

A magnificent and extremely sculptural specimen of the Seymchan meteorite, recovered in the Russian Far East. This rare and large end cut preserves the patinated and partially melted...

A remarkably fine example of Archaic sculpture.  A figure of a discophoros, or discus bearer, standing with his right leg forward, gripping a discus in his right hand, the left arm raised with an open palm. Described with admiration in Münzen und Medaillen's 1961 auction, "The figure is a masterpiece and illustrates with rare vividness the essence of good Etruscan sculpture...

Charming iconic and Huge Italian modern ceramic cat sculpture from the Rimini Blue series designed by Aldo Londi for Bitossi Italy. The Italian Ceramic Artist Aldo Londi from Montel...

Czechoslovakia White Porcelain Peacock Figurine by Jaroslav Jezek for Royal Dux in very nice original condition. Two visible dots under glaze.

Durga is a warrior goddess in the Hindu culture, she is the protector of the good depicted here multi-armed with a sword, a trident, the wheel and a jewel in her hands. She is flanke...

A magnificent example of a gogotte formation composed of thick swirls and folds of sparkling sandstone. Discovered in the Oligocene sand dunes of Fontainebleau, France, formed circa 30 million years before present or later. The incredible, almost otherworldly appearance of gogottes may easily be mistaken for the work of a most talented artist. In fact, these sandstone sculptures are entirely natural in origin. They have been found in multiple locations but those from Fontainebleau, such as the present example, are the most remarkable. Thirty-five million years ago, a sea covered what is now the forest of Fontainebleau, and dunes of exceptionally fine and homogenous sand formed. As silica-rich water filtered through this sand, it turned into stone. The flow of water finely modelled the sandstone into the aesthetic concretions we now know as gogottes. These are rare and are only found sporadically several metres deep into the ground. They owe their sparkling white appearance to the extreme and unmatched purity of the Fontainebleau sand, sometimes reaching a composition of 99.9% silica. Each of them is unique – a masterpiece slowly fashioned by the hands of Nature. The intriguing name of “gogotte” was coined by French geologist Claude Guillemin (1923- 1994), who was inspired by the children’s book series Babar the Elephant. In one of the books, a group of monsters called Gogottes are shown hiding behind rocks. These rocks reminded Guillemin of the sandstone concretions...

🎨 Rare Contemporary Steel Sculpture by Alessandro Tagliolini! 🎨 Dive into the world of exquisite artistry with our latest addition – an extraordinary steel sculpture crafted by th...

Very rare rattan bull head, wicker wall decoration dates to the 1960s-1970s The proportions are perfect, very decorative. We still have a dark lacqu...

Saint Nazaire Sword, Late Bronze Age, circa 800-900 B.C. An exceptionally well preserved Bronze Age sword, with elegant, finely incised decorations,...

Beautiful pair of modernist marble bookends by Vermont Marble Company. These sizeable pieces of marble are captivating as they are commanding. The veining that develops on the black ...

Mid-20th century hand-painted traditional figure made of wood. Made in Barcelona, Spain. In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful p...

Amazing double figure sculpture by Ermanno Nason for Cenedese circa 1960s. Hand blown uranium glass has intense glow under black light as pictured.

Erik Nielsen for Royal Copenhagen. Porcelain figurine of grey striped cat. Model number 340. Dated: 1969-1974 In excellent condition. Marked. Second factory quality. Dimensions: He...

A large section of a petrified conifer tree trunk, (Araucarioxylon arizonicum) from Northern Arizona, dating to the Triassic period, circa 225 million years ago. Over hundreds of m...

The lion-headed deity seated on round base over a stepped platform. Lakshmi seated on his left thigh, his principal hands holding a mace and lotus bud and upper hands holding a chakr...

Tang Dynasty Full Set Of Painted Pottery Zodiac Figures (TL tested) The Thermoluminescence Report (Item #185404) will accompany this sale. A Rare Set of Chinese Pottery Zodiac Figures from the Tang Dynasty painted with black and orange pigments. The conventional order of the twelve Chinese zodiac...

Ptychopariida is a large, heterogeneous order of trilobite containing some of the most primitive species known. The earliest species occurred in the second half of the Lower Cambrian...

Condition: Original Vintage Condition Designer: Butler Furniture Manufacturer: Butler Furniture Materials: Maple, Original Globe

Adorable painted ceramic pug dog posed on a sumptuous pillow. Colors are muted black, cream, green and pink. The bow around the pooch's neck is a perfect touch.

Il Tuffatore is an important hand blown Murano glass sculpture by Loredano Rosin (1936-1992). Il Tuffatore, literally translated as, 'The Diver' is a Murano glass sculpture in deep g...

Hollywood Regency Italian glazed Terracotta Lion. Great Hollywood Regency Italian glazed terracotta lion figure or statue. Realistic Italian glazed terracotta animal...

Museum quality, rare undulating formation of a gemmy transparent amethyst cluster with a cluster of spherical purple fluorite. These amethyst crystals ...

Deer iron candlestick French circa 1960 Christmas decoration Also ideal for a decoration on hunting or forest Holds 5 candles of all kinds Good vintage condition For shipping: ...

The choirboys. Three choirboys singing, directed by a priest, this Capodimonte porcelain made on a kidney shaped base. Very nice Romantic scene, included a music box. Not working a...

A circa 1960's Italian silver plated horse head. Measurements: Height: 8" Length: 6" Width: 2.5"

Wonderful hand carved standing Baroque angel figure. Unique period piece with its original paint . Spain, circa 1650-1750 Weathered. . Measurement here below includes the wooden ba...

The pallasites are a class of stony–iron meteorite. It consists of centimeter-sized olivine crystals of peridot quality in an iron-nickel matrix. Coarser metal areas develop Widmanst...

Hand crafted bronze, brass and enamel wall hanging or mobile by Chilean artist Cesar Vasquez.

A wonderful period Tang Dynasty Pottery Figure of a Fat Lady. Tomb Pottery China Height: 15 Inches No TL Test A COA by Avantiques will accompany the sale of this item. Condition: Ve...

Petite mid-20th century glazed ceramic elephant Ashtray. Handmade of ceramic. Nice addition to your home, man cave or bar.   

Wonderful Italian wooden door from Capri belonging to the 1960s, in a beautiful rustic chic style. The door is a classic rectangular door, but lower than the current norm because houses were smaller before. The door is made of fine wood and very durable, with clear scratches and wear, but this is what gives beauty to the object. The lower part is decorated with two pairs of rectangles, finely carved. The upper part, on the other hand, shows two glass rectangles, with a wooden bar dividing them in the middle. The door has a lock and handle: both are made of brass in patina, attached to the wood with two screws. The door is a wonderful piece of furniture to refer to the vintage and rustic...

This large fossil plate is incredibly unique, featuring a long Diplomystus dentatus along with two Cockerellites (Priscacara) liops, fossilized in its natural matrix. The entire piec...

This is a well-preserved, multi-specimen fossil featuring prehistoric fish from the Eocene Epoch, found in the renowned Fossil Lake area of Wyoming, a site famous for its exquisite fossil preservation due to ancient lakebed sediments. This fossil slab...

South Arabian Calcite female figure 3rd Century BC to 1st century A.D. Calcite Alabaster height: 30.5 cm A magnificent alabaster female figure, a f...

A spectacular mid-17th century Venetian Sculpture - "Enfant Au Coussin" - Enfant With Pillow. Expertly carved from Verona Marble. An architectural element originally serving as a b...

French Rope Horse Audoux Minet Circa 1960. Height / 13 inches. 10.5" by 4.5".

A rare and very fine bronze corpus of Christ after a model by Michelangelo, cast ca. 1597-1600 by Juan Bautista Franconio and painted in 1600 by Francisco Pacheco in Seville, Spain. The present corpus reproduces a model attributed to Michelangelo. The best known example, lesser in quality, is one on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET). The association of this corpus with Michelangelo was first brought to light by Manuel Gomez-Moreno (1930-33) who studied the wider circulated casts identified throughout Spain. The attribution to Michelangelo was subsequently followed by John Goldsmith-Phillips (1937) of the MET and again by Michelangelo expert, Charles de Tolnay (1960). While Michelangelo is best known for his monumental works, there are four documented crucifixes he made. The best known example is the large-scale wooden crucifix for the Church of Santa Maria del Santo Spirito in Florence, made in 1492 as a gift for the Prior, Giovanni di Lap Bicchiellini, for allowing him to study the anatomy of corpses at the hospital there. In 1562, Michelangelo wrote two letters to his nephew, Lionardo, indicating his intention to carve a wooden crucifix for him. In 1563 a letter between Lionardo and the Italian sculptor Tiberio Calcagni, mentions this same crucifix (a sketch of a corpus on the verso of a sheet depicting Michelangelo’s designs for St. Peter’s Basillica [Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille] may reproduce this). That Michelangelo was working on small corpora in the last years of his life is further evidenced by the small (26.5 cm) unfinished wooden crucifix located at the Casa Buonarroti, considered his last known sculptural undertaking. Michelangelo’s contemporary biographer, Giorgio Vasari additionally cites that Michelangelo, in his later years, made a small crucifix for his friend, Menighella, as a gift. Surviving sketches also indicate Michelangelo’s study of this subject throughout his career, most notably during the end of his life but also during the 1530s-40s as he deepened his spiritual roots. The occasional cameo of crucified Christ’s throughout his sketched oeuvre have made it challenging for scholars to link such sketches to any documented commissions of importance. All the while, in consideration that such objects were made as gifts, it is unlikely they should be linked with commissions. Nonetheless, a number of theories concerning Michelangelo’s sketches of Christ crucified have been proposed and some may regard the origin of the present sculpture. It has been suggested that the corpus could have its impetus with Michelangelo’s work on the Medici Chapel, whose exclusive design was given to the master. It is sensible smaller details, like an altar cross, could have fallen under his responsibility (see for example British Museum, Inv. 1859,0625.552). Others have noted the possibility of an unrealized large marble Crucifixion group which never came to fruition but whose marble blocks had been measured according to a sheet at the Casa Buonarroti. A unique suggestion is that Michelangelo could have made the crucifix for Vittoria Colonna, of whom he was exceedingly fond and with whom he exchanged gifts along with mutual spiritual proclivities. In particular, Vittoria had an interest in the life of St. Bridget, whose vision of Christ closely resembles our sculpture, most notably with Christ’s proper-left leg and foot crossed over his right, an iconography that is incredibly scarce for crucifixes. The suggestion could add sense to Benedetto Varchi’s comment that Michelangelo made a sculpted “nude Christ…he gave to the most divine Marchesa of Pescara (Vittoria Colonna).” Of that same period, two sketches can be visually linked to our sculpture. Tolnay relates it to a sketch of a Crucified Christ at the Teylers Museum (Inv. A034) of which Paul Joannides comments on its quality as suggestive of preparations for a sculptural work. Joannides also calls attention to a related drawing attributed to Raffaello da Montelupo copying what is believed to be a lost sketch by Michelangelo. Its relationship with our sculpture is apparent. Montelupo, a pupil of Michelangelo’s, returned to Rome to serve him in 1541, assisting with the continued work on the tomb of Pope Julius II, suggesting again an origin for the corpus ca. 1540. The earliest firm date that can be given to the present corpus is 1574 where it appears as a rather crudely conceived Crucifixion panel, flanked by two mourners in low-relief and integrally cast for use as the bronze tabernacle door to a ciborium now located at the Church of San Lorenzo in Padula. Etched in wax residue on the back of the door is the date, 27 January 1574, indicating the corpus would have at least been available as a model by late 1573. The Padula tabernacle was completed by Michelangelo’s assistant, Jacopo del Duca and likely has its origins with Michelangelo’s uncompleted tabernacle for the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Rome. The impetus for the Padula tabernacle’s Crucifixion panel begins with a series of late Crucifixion sketches by Michelangelo, depicting a scene of Christ crucified and flanked by two mourners (see British Museum Inv. 1895.0915.510; Ashmolean Museum Inv. 1846.89, KP II 343 recto; Windsor Castle RCIN 912761 recto; and Louvre Inv. 700). A faintly traced block possibly intended for sculpting the sketch of the crucified Christ on its recto was discovered by Tolnay on a version of the composition at Windsor Castle. The Windsor sketch and those related to it appear to have served as preparatory designs for what was probably intended to become the Basilica of St. Mary’s tabernacle door. Vasari documents that the project was to be designed by Michelangelo and cast by his assistant, Jacopo del Duca. Michelangelo died before the commission was complete, though on 15 March 1565, Jacopo writes to Michelangelo’s nephew stating, “I have started making the bronze tabernacle, depending on the model of his that was in Rome, already almost half complete.” Various circumstances interrupted the completion of the tabernacle, though its concept is later revitalized by Jacopo during preparations to sell a tabernacle, after Michelangelo’s designs, to Spain for Madrid’s El Escorial almost a decade later. The El Escorial tabernacle likewise encountered problems and was aborted but Jacopo successfully sold it shortly thereafter to the Carthusians of Padula. An etched date, 30 May 1572, along the base of the Padula tabernacle indicates its framework was already cast by then. A 1573 summary of the tabernacle also describes the original format for the door and relief panels, intended to be square in dimension. However, a last minute decision to heighten them was abruptly made during Jacopo’s negotiations to sell the tabernacle to King Phillip II of Spain. Shortly thereafter the commission was aborted. Philippe Malgouyres notes that the Padula tabernacle’s final state is a mixed product of the original design intended for Spain’s El Escorial, recycling various parts that had already been cast and adding new quickly finished elements for its sale to Padula, explaining its unusually discordant quality, particularly as concerns the crudeness of the door and relief panels which were clearly made later (by January 1574). Apart from his own admission in letters to Spain, it is apparent, however, that Jacopo relied upon his deceased master’s designs while hastily realizing the Padula panels. If Michelangelo had already earlier conceived a crucifix model, and Jacopo had access to that model, its logical he could have hastily employed it for incorporation on the door panel to the tabernacle. It is worth noting some modifications he made to the model, extending Christ’s arms further up in order to fit them into the scale of the panel and further lowering his chin to his chest in order to instill physiognomic congruence. A crude panel of the Deposition also follows after Michelangelo’s late sketches and is likewise known by examples thought to be modifications by Jacopo based upon Michelangelo’s initial sculptural conception (see Malgouyres: La Deposition du Christ de Jacopo del Duca, chef-d’oeuvre posthume de Michel-Ange). Jacopo’s appropriation of an original model by Michelangelo for more than one relief on the Padula tabernacle adds further indication that the crucifix was not an object unique to Jacopo’s hand, as few scholars have posited, but rather belongs to Michelangelo’s original...

Beautiful handmade leather bear figurine, preserving its beautiful original patina from the 1960s. Upon further investigation, we discovered that this type of animal was manufactured...