Mid-20th Century Abstract Sculptures

This is a spectacular larger than life-size vintage bronze statue of the German-born theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein, sitting in a relaxe...

For the collectors of unique and remarkable works of religious art. About ten years ago I was fortunate enough to have been invited to Italy for a week. In that week we visited the St. Francis Basilica in Assisi, the place where the world famous Saint Francis was born and where he is buried. For these unique sculptures to have found their way to us, again felt like a blessing. These amazing workmanship and aesthetically pleasing saint statues, we feel, were not created for one person alone, they were made to be seen and appreciated by a larger community. Those who know about Saint Francis will probably know about Saint Clare...

Very rare, 19th century statuette of Victor Hugo's famous novel character. If you are a collector of rare novel and/or famous movie characters then this 19th century sculpture of Quasimodo, better known as the Hunchback of Notre Dame...

Very nice handcarved fragment of a marionette. France, circa 1850. Weathered, small losses and old repairs Measurement include the wooden base.

Large statue of saint hand carved in wood during the late 17th century, or early 18th century. Some restoration. Sculpture portrays a saint and originall...

Hand-Carved African Sculpture of Kneeling Male made of Dark Wood. Hand-carved in Kenya. This carving is gorgeously detailed with a smooth sculpted face, hair tied back and ears ador...

A massive larger than life terracotta buddha bust of Guan Yin, China, early 20th century. Broken and restored with wear and tear from enduring exposure to the elements. Size: 75 cm high. Weight: 40 kg. Guanyin, Kwanyin, Guanshiyin or Guanyin Pusa is the Chinese interpretation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (the goddess of comfort and mercy). In addition, she is seen in Taoism as an immortal. The scripture dedicated to her is Dabeizhou. Guanyin is the goddess of compassion and the sea. She is one of the three saints of the western paradise, along with Mahasthamaprapta and Amitabha Buddha; they are worshiped to save departed loved ones from hell and grant them entrance to the western paradise. Guanyin Chinese name Traditional Chinese 觀音 Simplified Chinese 观音 Transcriptions Full Chinese name Traditional Chinese 觀世音 Simplified Chinese 观世音 Literal meaning "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World" Transcriptions Second alternative Chinese name Traditional Chinese 觀自在 Simplified Chinese 观自在 Literal meaning "Lord who Gazes down on the World" Transcriptions Burmese name Burmese ကွမ်ယင် IPA [kwàɴ jɪ̀ɴ] Tibetan name Tibetan སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས Vietnamese name Vietnamese alphabet Quan Âm (Quán Âm) Quán Thế Âm (Quan Thế Âm) Quán Tự Tại Chữ Hán 觀音 觀世音 觀自在 Thai name Thai กวนอิม, พระอวโลกิเตศวรโพธิสัตว์ RTGS Kuan Im, Phra Avalokitesuan Korean name Hangul 관음, 관세음, 관자재 Hanja 觀音, 觀世音, 觀自在 Transcriptions Mongolian name Mongolian script ᠨᠢᠳᠦ ᠪᠡᠷ ᠦᠵᠡᠭᠴᠢ Japanese name Kanji 観音, 観世音, 観自在 Hiragana かんのん, かんぜおん, かんじざい Transcriptions Indonesian name Indonesian Kwan Im, Kwan She Im, Awalokiteswara Filipino name Tagalog Guanyin (ᜄᜓᜀᜈᜌᜒᜈ) Sanskrit name Sanskrit अवलोकितेश्वर (Avalokiteśvara) Khmer name Khmer អវលោកិតេស្វរៈ (Avalokitesvarak), អវលោកេស្វរៈ (Avalokesvarak), លោកេស្វរៈ (Lokesvarak) Hmong name Hmong Kabyeeb, Niam-Txiv Kabyeeb, Dabpog, Niam-Txiv Dabpog Guanyin (traditional Chinese: 觀音; simplified Chinese: 观音; pinyin: Guānyīn) is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion.[note 1] She was first given the appellation "Goddess of Mercy" or "Mercy Goddess" by Jesuit missionaries in China.[1] Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World."[2] On the 19th day of the sixth lunar month, Guanyin's attainment of Buddhahood is celebrated.[3] Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus, and then sent to the western pure land of Sukhāvatī.[4] Guanyin is often referred to as the "most widely beloved Buddhist Divinity"[5] with miraculous powers to assist all those who pray to her, as is mentioned in the Pumen chapter of Lotus Sutra and Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra. Several large temples in East Asia are dedicated to Guanyin, including Shaolin Monastery, Longxing Temple, Puning Temple, Nanhai Guanyin Temple, Dharma Drum Mountain, Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, Shitennō-ji, Sensō-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Sanjūsangen-dō, and many others. Guanyin's abode and bodhimaṇḍa in India is recorded as being on Mount Potalaka. With the localization of the belief in Guanyin, each area adopted their own Potalaka. In Chinese Buddhism, Mount Putuo is considered the bodhimaṇḍa of Guanyin. Naksansa is considered to be the Potalaka of Guanyin in Korea. Japan's Potalaka is located at Fudarakusan-ji. Tibet's Potalaka is the Potala Palace. Vietnam's Potalaka is the Hương Temple. There are several pilgrimage centers for Guanyin in East Asia. Putuoshan is the main pilgrimage site in China. There is a 33 temple Guanyin pilgrimage in Korea which includes Naksansa. In Japan, there are several pilgrimages associated with Guanyin. The oldest one of them is the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, a pilgrimage through 33 temples with Guanyin shrines. Guanyin is beloved by most Buddhist traditions in a nondenominational way and found in most Tibetan temples under the name Chenrézik (Wylie: Spyan ras gzigs). Guanyin is also beloved and worshipped in the temples in Nepal. The Hiranya Varna Mahavihar located in Patan is one example. Guanyin is also found in some influential Theravada temples such as Gangaramaya Temple, Kelaniya and Natha Devale nearby Temple of the Tooth...

Hand carved agate bird with bronze legs standing on dark green jade.

This is an exceptionally large Tonala figure of a cat. The piece is artist signed and most probably dates to the 1960s-1980s. The cat is beautifully mold...

A playful early 20th century French painted steel butcher's shop sign in the shape of a pig, and mounted on a custom steel table-top mount. The sign...

A beautiful large cognac colored leather Kangaroo magazine holder / sculpture by Dimitri Omersa, circa 1970s. Attractive light patina throughout, this charismatic leather animal can serve so many different uses, and makes a fantastic companion while also being a wonderful collectors piece to cherish. Some creative ways to use this Omersa is to hold magazines or small books / pamphlets. Or a bouquet of flowers, examples of these two uses can be found in the photos. Another idea which we did not photograph is for cables and cords - consider your laptop or cell phone cables, they can sit in the pouch when not in use, and can even wrap over or around the arms to manage the cords from getting tangled. Other uses could be simply as a collectible sculpture placed on a credenza, sideboard, bookshelf or mantle, on the floor as a floor sculpture or as a friendly companion for an otherwise lonely house dog or cat, or by the front door as a greeter to your guests and when you return home after a long day. We think it's great to name your Omersa, as many Omersa owners do, and we also believe every home needs at least one Omersa. Omersa's have so much personality and character - each one was hand-made (so every one is unique, just like us) of the highest quality leather, beautifully stained and waxed, this one approximately 45-55 years ago, and each of the years this one has lived - it has developed its own stories to tell through its gorgeous patina, it's no wonder most Omersa owners have developed personal relationship with theirs - not too much different than a house pet. We love our personal Omersa's that we keep at home, they always make us smile. A client of ours got one after his dog had passed, he said he wasn't ready yet for another - so an Omersa became the perfect friend at a time in need. From 1927 though 1950 leather pigs using scrap leather from hand made luggage were made by "Old Bill" for the department store Liberty of London. Around 1958 the business was transferred to Dimitri Omersa when Old Bill retired, and it was at this time that Dimitri came up with the ideas for other leather animals. Around 1963 Dimitri's leather animals caught the eye of Abercrombie and Fitch, at that time purveyor to the fantasies of the rich and famous. The animals were advertised in the A&F catalog from the mid 1960’s through to the late 1980’s. As you can see in our photos, we have a large collection of Omersa leather...

A whimsical and bold 20th century American Folk Art cared wood sculpture depicting a stylized seated cat with a long neck, expressive face, and a beautiful chip carved surface. It cr...