Carved Animal Sculptures

This gorgeous 272 gram malachite fish has been hand carved and hand-polished out of excellent quality malachite from the DRC. Malachite is a lusciously hued, bright and dark green ba...

Large 18K gold, silver gilt, diamond and hardstone bird model by Asprey English, c. 1980 Height 22cm, width 17cm, depth 15cm Made in around 1980, by th...

Rare hand-crafted entree stand. . .signed ‘RUEF’. (Ruef Brothers) This beautifully carved Black Forest bear will always be there to greet you when you come home. It does not matter...

The two beautiful mice have been cast out of spelter and silver plated. The little creatures are playing with a deep red ball made out of bakelite. Mice and balls are mounted on mar...

Hand carved marble abstract horse head sculpture signed L.Meyer.

Large heavy handcrafted vintage wooden camel figurine covered in brass and copper with an antique distressed look. 1950s vintage solid wood carved camel sculpture with copper and bra...

circa 1900 Miniature Model of Black Forest Bear Bench. "Black Forest" is a term to describe elaborate, realistic wood carvings from an area in ...

This unusual antique mirror was crafted in the Alps region of France, circa 1880. The whimsical mirror features a large eagle sculpture with win...

Vintage Wooden Walking Bear Handcarved in Brienz ca. 1930s A vintage statue of a Black Forest walking bear. Made of lindenwood, finely handcarved with na...

A Lovely Carved Black Forest Bear for Sewing Utensils, Pierre Michel, Brienz Item e7285 A nicely carved Black Forest bear for sewing utensils. It features a pincushion, needle deposi...

This impressive large and all hand carved wooden pendant light, is a true work of art. It displays the finest quality carving and the skills...

A beautiful vintage silver bee ornament for your room. An impressive size, this silver bee is a gorgeous statement piece for a shelf or sideboard! 29 x 15 x 13cm

Carved wooden juvenile carousel horse adorned with roses. A similar horse is in operation on the Bushnell Park carousel. Carved in the style of Charles Carmel who immigrated to the U...

Pair of birds carved from various semiprecious stones with an amusing expression and brass feet perched on carved stone tree trunks.

A 'Black Forest' Bear In naturalistically carved lindenwood, having glass eyes, head tilted aloft, prowls on all fours. From the Brienz Area. Brienz, in the Bernese Oberland, Sw...

Large abstract welded bird sculpture on onyx base by Curtis Jere, American, 1970s.

Juvenile carved wooden carousel horse carved in the style of Charles Loof. Lions carved into the back of the saddle. Requires little restoration. Started to paint 40 years ago but...

A beautiful hand-carved semi-precious rose quartz stone crane pair, with intricate carnelian beaks, fluorite crests, and brass legs. This piece blends the elegance of ornithology wit...

Early 20th Century American straw and wood Canada goose decoy. Black paint. 25"L x 14"H x 10 1/2"D Period: Early 20th century Origin: United States Size: 25"L x 14"H x 10 1/2"D Fa...

This is a very old Japanese "si-si" mask made in the middle to late Edo period. (Japanese ``si-si'' is an imaginary animal that deifies a lion.) It is thought that materials such as...

Late 19th century hand carved bear brush from Switzerland. The bear is expertly hand carved and has a very whimsical look. Such an adorable souvenir, these were small tokens travel...

Not many Aldo Tura pieces can be compared to this unique table lamp, hand carved from a single piece of wood. Aldo Tura lamps were done in small editions and the detail and level of ...

Hand carved bear sculpture with glass eyes, Germany, circa the 1930s. A beautiful and masterfully hand-carved linden-wood figure of a bear,...

Rabbit Crystal Hand carved Crystal inclusions vary Limited Edition.          

It is a singular piece, it is not common Table lamp Art Deco marble sphere with interior light with bronze eagle Hollow alabaster sphere with interior light and crowned by a bron...

A beautiful, hand carved, all natural rock crystal dragon's head statue. Weighing at an whopping 8.5 lb, this wonderful piece makes a fantastic paper we...

Chic set of two hand carved walnut sculptures of a galloping horse, in profile. Executed by noted American sculptor, craftsman, woodworker, Edig Hackner, of LaCrosse Wisconsin. Mr. H...

Hand-carved mid-century netsuke depicting a contemplative monkey in a sitting position. Monkeys represent multiple things in Japanese culture and folklore among them being: mediators...

Set of two similar Black Forest carved and hand-painted 'stag' sculptures with real antlers mounted to decorative 'wreath' plaques for wall hanging (ca. 1930s/40s, Germany). One deer...

This exquisite pair of antique hand-carved wooden rocking horses brings timeless charm and craftsmanship to any space. Each horse is meticulously sculpted from solid wood, showcasing...

A black forest carved wooden bear head from the late 19th century, with oak leaves and green, yellow and red accents. Created during the last quarter of the 19th century, this Black Forest wall...

A late 18th-early 19th century full size wooden sculpture of a horse, with tail made from horse hair, resting on a rectangular wooden base mounted on four castors.

Decorate a man's office or library shelf with this signed antique horse sculpture. Created in France circa 1880, the highly detailed sculpture depicts an elegant racing horse fitted ...

PAIR of American Federal-style carved sculptural eagles with wings outstretched perching on a log base with a gilt and brown finish (PRICED AS PAIR)(Similar eagles with different fin...

A pair of French vintage terracotta lions. This pair of lions from France, standing approximately 2 feet in height, each feature abundantly fl...

Small, but coolest pair of bear bookends. Thanks to the wonderful bears, these hand-carved bookends from the 1930s are an absolute joy to own and look. These sculptural bookends have a warm and...

Sculpture Decorative Objects, stone Horned Bull, Ancient Pixiu for Home Decor In tradition As also for all other Zoroastrian cosmological beliefs, the primary source of information ...

Bronze wall decoration representing an eagle with wide open wings made of bronze. There is signature JP at the back of both wings. France, circa 1900.

1831 Hand carved Grand Mouflan De Ram fram a solid piece of hardwood

Sea monster Carrara marble mouth fountain Italy, late 16th century It measures 13.8 x 31.5 x 18.9 in (35 x 80 x 48 cm) State of conservation: some small evident gaps and widespread signs of wear due to outdoor exposure. The gray marks crossing it do not come from restoration, but are rather the natural veins of the marble. This work has some morphological characteristics typically associated with the iconography of the sea monster: an elongated muzzle, sharp teeth, protruding eyes, elongated ears, and a coiled serpent's tail. An in-depth series of studies on artistic depictions of the sea monster attempted to verify how this symbol evolved in antiquity in the European and Mediterranean contexts and how it gradually changed its image and function over time. The iconography itself is mutable and imaginative and its history is rich with cultural and artistic exchange, as well as the overlapping of ideas. This occurred so much that it is difficult to accurately pinpoint the "types" that satisfactorily represent its various developments. However, we can try to summarize the main figures, starting from the biblical Leviathan and the marine creature that swallowed Jonah (in the Christian version, this figure was to become a whale or a "big fish", the “ketos mega”, translation of the Hebrew “dag gadol”). Other specimens ranged from the dragons mentioned in the Iliad (which were winged and had legs) to "ketos” (also from Greek mythology), the terrifying being from whose Latinized name (“cetus”) derives the word "cetacean". See J. Boardman, “Very Like a Whale” - Classical Sea Monsters, in Monsters and Demons in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds, in Papers presented in Honor of Edith Porada, Mainz am Rhein 1987, pp. 73-84). In Italy the monster underwent yet further variations: it can be found in Etruscan art on the front of some sarcophagi representing the companion of souls, while among the Romans we find the “Pistrice” (cited by Plinio in Naturalis Historia PLIN., Nat., II 9, 8 and by Virgilio in Eneide: VERG., Aen., III, 427), which appeared in the shape of a stylized hippocampus or a very large monstrous cetacean and evolved into a hideous being with a dragon's head and long webbed fins. During the Middle Ages, the sea monster was the object of new transformations: at this time, it is often winged, the head is stretched like a crocodile, the front legs are often very sharp fins - sometimes real paws - until the image merges with dragons, the typical figures of medieval visionary spirituality widely found throughout Europe (on this topic and much more, see: Baltrušaitis, J., Il Medioevo fantastico. Antichità ed esotismi nell’arte gotica, Gli Adelphi 1997). In Italy during the 15th and 16th centuries, the revival of classicism - representative of the humanistic and Renaissance periods - led to a different reading of these "creatures". Indeed, the sea monster was also to find widespread use as an isolated decorative motif, especially in numerous fountains and sculptures where dolphins or sea monsters were used as a characterizing element linked to water (on this theme see: Chet Van Duzer, Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps, London, The British library, 2013). From the morphological point of view, the "sea monsters" of this period are mostly depicted as hybrid figures, in which the body of a mythological or real being (a hippocampus, a sea snake, a dolphin), is joined to a head with a rather indistinct appearance. It was usually characterized by large upright ears, an elongated snout, sharp teeth and globular, protruding eyes; a complex and indefinite figure, both from the symbolic point of view and from that of its genesis. The work we are examining is placed as a cross between the medieval sea serpent and the Renaissance dolphin, with stylistic features which recall the snake as often used in heraldry (such as the "snake" depicted in the coat of arms of the Visconti - the lords and then dukes of Milan between 1277 and 1447 - and which, for some, may be derived from the representations of the “Pistrice” that swallowed Jonah). In the search for sources, Renaissance cartography and in particular woodcuts should not be neglected. See for example the monsters of Olaus Magnus, from the editions of the “Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus” (“History of the peoples of the north”) and the natural histories of Conrad Gesner, Ulisse...

A pair of soapstone Buddhist lions Each finely carved seated on its haunches with a fierce expression, modelled in mirror image seated on a rectangu...

A beautifully carved vintage wooden swan centerpiece in white paint with a carved out center and distressed surface on a round base, dating to the...

Large Wooden strolling bear handcarved in Brienz ca. 1930 A large antique statue of a walking bear. Made of lindenwood, finely handcarved with na...

A Thai wooden polychrome prayer box from the early 20th century depicting a reclining guardian lion with his tongue sticking out. Created in Thailand during the early years of the 20th century, this highly decorative object is in fact a prayer box. Opening in its upper section to reveal an oval, roughly carved interior, the box depicts a guardian lion whose striking features and expression are meant to ward off negative influences. His reclining position demonstrates that he is ready to pounce. Best to be seen from the sides, the lion opens his mouth to reveal sharp teeth through which his tongue is sticking out. The latter is removable. His body is adorned with incised scrolling accents and hand painted with green, yellow, red, pink and white motifs. The tail is missing. The other side shows a décor a little more faint. With its highly decorative presence and polychrome finish, this Thai guardian...

An English carved and painted wood spaniel dog sculpture from the first half of the 20th century. Born during the Roaring Twenties, this wooden dog sculpture...

Vintage bronze bull. Measures: 13” L x 7.5” H x 6” W.

Hand-crafted from reclaimed wood, this artisanal koi sculpture is a traditional symbol of harmony and luck. For Buddhists, such a fish represents a freedom from all restraints. The f...

Impressive whimsical vintage walnut wood carving skillfully depicting a wide eyed monkey contemplating a piece of fruit. Signed Macabo Italy on the bottom.

Italian marble sculpture of a lion on the hunt by Joseph Frugoni (1897-1923). In very good condition.

A mid-century miniature sculpture depicting a Camel. This miniature was made in Italy in the 70s and combines two Italian peculiarities, the great skill of Italian craftsmen in worki...

Decorative swan decoy carved from a barn beam. Glass eyes, original paint. Carver unknown. Original cream white paint. Period: Mid-20th century Origin: United States Size: 25" x 10"...

Fine Carved Black Forest Statue of a Disabled Dog, Brienz circa 1900 A very nice and fine Swiss wood carving. The disabled long hair terrier is re...

Gorgeous Italian Bagni Pottery Sphinx Cat. Signed, "Italy", On The Bottom.

Early 20th century section hand carved fairground octopus illuminated figure Due to the construction and metal hanging hooks on this hand carved fairground figure, we believe it wou...

A large whimsical hand carved and painted antique Southeast Asian wooden hare sculpture with incised detailing, polychrome decoration and beautifully aged patina. Hand-crafted in th...

American carved walnut perched eagle with spread wings on rocky plinth. Mid 19th Century

A very cool MCM stylized walnut circular elephant sculpture, circa 1970s. The piece is in very good vintage condition and measures 7.75"W x 2.5"D x 6.25"H. #4059   

400 - 600 Year old charming and artistic sandstone relief. Dragon "mythical beast" which is a symbol of wisdom. From Buddha temple in Arakan, Burma....

A rare oversize Black Forest Swiss hand-carved wooden cow from circa 1880. This exquisitely hand-carved wooden cow is a pristine example of Black For...

Early 20th century Swiss work of art. This small and hand-carved bear sculpture is a great example of the Black Forest craftsmanship in early 20th century, Switzerland. Anyone who i...