Figurative Sculptures

This exquisite piece of art captures the ethereal beauty of femininity through the unique lens of Loredano's craftsmanship. The glass figure, meticulously crafted in a rich alessandr...

Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown sky blue with green spots Italian art glass mushroom / toadstool paperweight. Created for the Fornasa De Murano A L'Insegna Del Moreto company, by...

Unique frosted and clear Lucite sculpture of sailboat underway. Wonderful inviting movement as boat is heeling to one side.

A stylish Murano commedia dell'arte clown style art glass figure designed by Italian Maestro glassmaker Franco Toffolo and dating from around 1960. Toff...

Seldom seen Paper Mache , polychromed "NaNa" Sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle,,

Remnants of the name “ NORMAN” on the Dish. Vintage condition as pictured. Box H3 Dimensions. 5.50” W ; 5” D ; 0.50” H

Condition: Original Vintage Condition Designer: Signed Italy Manufacturer: Signed Italy Materials: Hand Painted Glazed Ceramic This exquisite hand-painted Italian ceramic tiger cub...

This crocodile figurine was produced in Austria and is signed at the bottom: Bosse Austria. The piece comes together with a fabric pouch, including a certificate, too. Model N° BO 6...

A gorgeous character ceramic figural horse statue - Bitossi Aldo Londi. This character statue has been made in the 1960s. Absolutely gorgeous item with mark on the body and still in ...

Art Deco style manner of Franz Hagenauer bronze bust with elongated neck. Figurative sculpture depicting the head of a figure with elongated neck and pegged ear adornments. No signat...

Bird of paradise brutalist brass sculpture in the style of Curtis Jere.

This hedgehog figurine was produced in Austria and is signed at the bottom: Bosse Austria. The piece comes together with a fabric pouch, including a certificate, too. Model N° BO 60...

Impressive sculpture realized in Baschioi-stone by Mihai Vatamanu in the manner of the 60's in Eastern Europe. The Baschioi stone is a famous Romanian unique sandstone known and us...

These are a lovely pair of carved rose quartz grape bunches with dark green jade leaves and wire stems that are wrapped with satin cord and have a f...

Marcello Fantoni for Raymor ceramic shelf hanging person. Glazed Ceramic. Cat pictured sold separately.

Italian Modernism Alfredo Barbini Chinese Woman Murano Art Glass Sculpture ca. 1960s DIMENSIONS Height: 28 inches Width: 3-3/4 inches ...

Beautiful, elegant and stylish. Bronze with black and golden patina, gilded brass. African Mid-Century Modern human size beauty. Made after the African neck...

Sculpture in patinated bronze after Fernando Botero, 20th century. Sculpture after Fernando Botero in patinated bronze, marble base, 20th centur...

Rare mid century Virgo zodiac sculpture by Fred Press, bronze.

This is a vintage miniature dollhouse round metal/ possibly brass table. Can be used as a small stand or trinket holder. This piece has nice patina and character. Vintage condition a...

Viennese Bronze Figure "African Dancer" by Franz Hagenauer Beautiful and slender bronze figure of an African woman dancing by Franz Hagenauer, with a simple but nice design. Measurem...

Murano glass clown in the colors blue, red, yellow white and orange. Amazing glass clown sculpture designed and manufactured in the Mid-Century Modern era in Murano, Italy. Very goo...

Very stunning large Art Deco Statue by Cia Manna, Torino, Italy. C.I.A. Manna Torino Lenci Nel Palmeto ceramic sculpture. Semi nude form of young woman. Work...

Group of five mid-century modern wood carved figurines by Dominican artist Frank Coronado. Each figure is hand painted in brilliant white, red, ye...

One of the famed Egg Sculptures from New York City’s celebrated Big Egg Hunt. The Sculpture features a great Mirrored Chrome Optic of Stylized Human Figur...

Miguel Ortiz Berrocal Mini-Caryatid Puzzle Sculpture 8284/10K, Original Box Offered for sale is a Miguel Ortiz Berrocal Mini-Caryatid puzzle sculpture stamped Berrocal and numbered ...

Did you now the unicorn is Scotland's national animal? They could have picked Nessie, but went with the most magical creature ever conceived. We're not certain if this brass beast ...

This is a realistically carved jade bunch of grapes with darker jade carved leaves. The stem network is wire wrapped with blue satin cord and the end where it would have been cut fro...

Exceptional pair of vintage large scale brass elephant sculptures. One is larger, one is slightly smaller but they both stand over 2 feet tall! Each elephant’s trunk reaching upward, a symbol of good luck. These are beautifully crafted with detail in the modeling. The artist took care to represent the folds in the ears, creases in the skin, and spine on the backs. Elephants are revered by many, but are considered sacred in Hindu and Buddhist religious. The raised trunks are said to bring prosperity and protection to those in their presence. Smaller brass elephant 20.6lbs 13.5” Wide x 21” Deep x 25.75” High Larger Brass elephant...

VIRGIN AND CHILD IN MAJESTY, ALSO KNOWN AS "SEDES SAPIENTIAE"   ORIGIN : SPAIN, CATALOGNE PERIOD: EARLY 13th CENTURY   Height :  95 cm Width : 32 cm Depth : 28 cm   Softwood No polychromy     In the middle of the 12th century, the Virgin took her place in churches, seated in Majesty, serving as a throne for her son Jesus. She is then called Sedes Sapientiae, meaning the Throne of Wisdom. At that time, she is not represented for herself and only exists because she has been designated as Theotokos, the mother of God, at the Council of Ephesus in 431, where the divine nature of Christ was proclaimed from his birth.   The upright and perfectly hieratic bust of this Virgin and Child in Majesty is seated on a throne-bench. She is dressed in a tunic with a rounded neckline and covered with a fine mantle placed on her narrow shoulders. The supple and natural drapery follows the lines of the body.   Large curls frame her face with delicate and regular features, a long straight nose, almond-shaped eyes, and small lips.   She supports the Infant Jesus with her left hand. Like his mother, he is dressed in a long tunic, and his little feet are visible in the folds. He holds a small sphere in his left hand, while with his right hand, he gestures in blessing. The face of Christ bears a strong resemblance to his mother’s one, and he gives a slight smile.   The position of the Child is no longer as hieratic, nor frontal or central as in the early 12th century, but his face still turns towards the faithful.   The 13th century indeed emerges as a period of transition in the artistic domain. The statuary, while retaining certain characteristics still belonging to the habits of the previous century, also develops new formal solutions.   As a result, Mary maintains a hieratic and frontal position, while her son shifts to place himself well to the left on her knee. Similarly, while the Virgin seems perfectly still, Jesus, on the other hand, appears much more animated, especially in the positioning of his hands. His left hand holds the orb, and judging by the raised right arm directed towards the faithful, one can easily imagine that he was making a gesture of blessing.   The influence of the Sedes Sapientiae from previous centuries still seems particularly prevalent in this work.   These few characteristics allow dating this Spanish Virgin...

Ceramic Indian motif white elephant by Bruno Gambone (circa 1970s). This is an absolutely charming ceramic white elephant with an Indian-style blanket and headdress, large whimsical ...

Exotic African women sculpture by Leopold Anzengruber, Vienna 1950s. Terracotta, mate black finish. Original necklace and skirt. Numbered unde...

Mid-Century Modern metal tree sculpture by Curtis Jere. This tall dimensional botanic floor tree features torched gold brass metal leaves on natural wood st...

A bronze egg displayed on a brass stand. Designed and made by Illums Bolighus in Copenhagen, Denmark circa 1960. The egg is hollow and rather light. Markings to the base reads: Illum...

Five Tiny Terracotta Garden Gnomes, Germany ca. 1950s A whimsy set of five tiny garden gnomes made in Germany ca. 1950s probably by Heissner. They are made of terracotta and hand-pa...

A 1:1 cast model of a human skull in silver plated bronze. Its made from a cast of a real human skull, probably female, and is complete with teeth, lo...

POLYCHROME CARVED WOOD VIRGIN AND CHILD FROM THE 15TH CENTURY   ORIGIN: SOUTH GERMANY, SWABIA, NUREMBERG REGION PERIOD: 15th CENTURY   Height: 94,6cm Width : 28 cm Depth : 18 cm   Lime wood Original Polychromy Good state of conservation     From 1430 onwards, sculpture underwent a profound stylistic renewal which continued until 1530, the so-called late Gothic period. In the Germanic countries, original sculptures flourished in an expressive and sensitive vein.
This renewal was inspired by the art of Nicholas of Leiden, who was active in Strasbourg in the 1460's. His style broke with the refined and delicate art of the international Gothic style in force throughout Europe around 1400. The figures became more authentic and realistic. The bodies became denser. Clothes are animated by deep, broken folds, the fabrics are heavy and have a great decorative value. In addition, the polychromy is intended to be illusionistic. The painting makes it possible to restore the texture of the materials, the richness of the textiles and the natural skin tone of the characters.   The dissemination of images through engraving and the great mobility of the artists led to the success of this style, which conquered the Upper Rhine, Swabian, Tyrolean and Franconian regions, contributing to the formation of a common stylistic identity in these regions. The economic boom in the flourishing German cities was conducive to the development of original production. Attracted by this prosperity, numerous workshops were set up in order to meet the orders of religious communities, the Church and the laity, including a clientele of middle-class rockers.      This precious Virgin and Child is depicted standing on a crescent moon, her head encircled by a crown of tall flowers. Her long wavy hair spreads over her shoulders, framing her beautiful oval face. Under fine eyebrows drawn with a brushstroke, her almond-shaped, slightly drooping eyes look at the Child with infinite softness. She is dressed in a long red dress with a rounded neckline, belted under the chest. The heavy fabric of her dress spreads out in broken folds at her feet. On her shoulders she wears a golden cloak. The drapery has deep folds. She holds out her right hand while she holds the Christ Child with her left.   Christ, with his well-defined hair, is naked. His cheeks are highlighted with red, he holds an apple in his left hand and with the other hand makes a sign of blessing towards the faithful.   Virgins with Child on a crescent moon were very popular in the second half of the 15th century, especially as the central subject of altarpieces in southern Germany and Austria. The crescent moon on which Mary is standing is reminiscent of the Woman of the Apocalypse. Often equated with the Virgin Mary.    This episode is taken from the Book of Revelation (12:1-6)   1 Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. ; 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because she was in labor, in pain from giving birth. ; 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: it was a great fiery red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads. ; 4 His tail swept down a third of heaven's stars and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that when she gave birth, he might devour her child. ; 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child who is to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was snatched up to God and his throne. ; 6 Then the woman fled into the desert, where God has prepared a place for her. There she will be taken care of for one thousand two hundred sixty days.   Some theologians see in this woman a reference to the Virgin Mary and in the child, Jesus.    
This remarkable work is a very fine example of sculpture from Swabian workshops in the last decades of the 15th century. It presents all the characteristic stylistic elements: a highly girdled silhouette, an abundant drapery with angular folds, but also a great physical presence accentuated by the polychromy that restores the anatomical details. This group is made of a wooden log. The deep folds of the drapery highlight the movement of the Virgin holding the child.       Bibliography :   Sophie Guillot de Suduiraut, Dévotion et Séduction, Sculptures souabes des musées de France, vers 1460-1530, Paris musée du Louvre-Éditions somogy, 2015   “Revelation 12 -   Common English Bible...

Rare angel by Francesco Messina Perfect Condition.

Provenance : In the same private collection for several generations, Burgundy. The canonical Gospels describe briefly the episode of the Nativity. It comprises three parts : • The Preludes : the Journey to Bethlehem, the Census • The Nativity • The Announce to the Shepherds and the Adoration of the Magi Only the Gospel according to Matthew (2, 1-12) speaks about the Adoration of the Magi. Staying vague about their number it does say they brought the newborn gold, incense and myrrh. The apocryphals, the fathers of the Church and many other authors have filled in the gaps of the evangelic tale. The sobriety and symbolic of the story have been a huge inspiration to artists. Although one of the oldest depictions of the Adoration of the Magi dates from the 2nd century the theme became very popular in Christian art during the late 14th century. One of the reasons explaining this success is that it celebrates both the Virgin and Christ at the same time. This important walnut panel is carved in a strong relief and depicts the different steps of the story of Jesus’ birth. On the left, the donkey and ox that have accompanied Mary and Joseph from Bethlehem are depicted behind a trough. On the thatch roof appears the star that would guide the magi to the place of birth of Jesus. Mary is wearing a veil and is seating on a bed. She holds her baby at arm’s length to present him to the magi. Saint Joseph is by her side. The old man is holding a cane in his left hand while from the right hand he seems to uncover himself to greet the visitors. A woman assists to the scene. In front of the holy family the three magi stand behind one another to pay their homage to the newborn. The first magi has a pointed beard. He is already kneeling out of deference and has placed his crown to his feet. He gives the baby a hanap filled with gold coins. This is Melchior as the legend describes him with white hair and a long beard. Caspar, the second magi bears a cup of incense. He is looking at the third magi and with his right hand he points to the star that has guided them there. He has a short beard and wears crakow shoes, breeches and a wide sleeved doublet. Finally Balthazar, the elegant last magi proceeds proudly towards the holy family with his one hand on the saber’s hilt and the other holding a cup. He brings the divine child the myrrh. He probably just dismounted as the horse can be seen behind him. The scene is set in a very detailed and narrative decor. In the right part of the panel the shepherd receive the announce of Jesus’ birth. An angel comes down from heaven with a scroll bearing the good news in his hands. The herding dog sleeps peacefully while sheeps graze. At the top of the cliff we notice the gilded sheeps enclosure. The panel’s moulded frame is carved with a foliated decor. In it’s centre appears a coat-of-arms. It is the alliance of the three magi’s arms. Indeed as it was common for legendary figures the three of them received imaginaries coat-of-arms. Thus, on a field of azure stands a star for Melchior, a crescent for Caspar and a pennon for Balthazar. This high-relief panel is undeniably the work of a very skilled and imaginative artist. This key moment in the New Testament is transposed to a contemporary environment thanks to the figures’ clothing and the rural daily life scene. This way the universal dimension of the episode is highlighted allowing a better understanding for the contemporaries. The sculptor has represented the episodes of the Adoration of the Magi and the Announce to the Shepherd with great talent and numerous details giving life to a picturesque and narrative scene. The important traces of polychromy give those already very animated scenes a stronger pictorial power and a rich dynamism. Because of the picturesque and familiar realism so dear to the artists of the late Medieval era, of the didactic function of this type of panel as well as the quality of the sculpture this piece is an astounding example of Burgundian art of the 15th century. Literature Louis Réau, Iconographie de l’Art chrétien...

Fun pair of metal, hand-painted sculptures in by listed Mexican artist Luis Felguerez, One is a tennis player with racquet an the second is a girl on a rocker. Both pieces are signed...

________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precis...

Carlo Nason designed these objects in the 1970s for V.Nason&Co, the company of his father Vincenzo Nason. They are made of Murano glass in four striking colours. The items could be ...

Rare musical box by Omero Taddeini Silver metal and wood base Perfect working order Perfect condition.

Made by David Gil for his company Bennington Potters, this is one of the earliest exampels of his work. Featuring a split design, each side of a lucite column has half of a head glue...

The giraluna is a spectral plant entity from Leo Lionni's Classic alternate universe  textbook Parallel Botany.  About the Sculpture: The Giraluna This elusive and capricious plant is the Dream Queen of parallel botany. Hydendorp, quite rightly, does not hesitate to define it as the "most parallel of plants, most plantlike of the parallels," and in so doing he stresses not so much its physiognomic oddnesses as the disconcerting normality of its shape. "If we were in the jungle," he writes, "and we found one blocking our way, we would not for an instant hesitate to hack it down with our machetes."1 But it will not be our good fortune to encounter it. If in reconstructions the Giraluna displays considerable plantness of form and an exact and convincing solidity, in its natural environment it can be perceived only as a nebulous interplay of glimmerings and empty spaces which alternate in the darkness and vaguely suggest where its outlines might be. (pl. XXIV) Its nocturnal presence, in fact, is manifested almost entirely in terms of the equivocal O'-factor of the moonbeams, which was discovered and measured a few years ago by Dennis Dobkin of the Point Paradise Observatory. This factor changes the light-shade ratio which normally defines volumes into a subtle interplay of lucencies and opacities, so that our perceptions, our basic sensorial habits conditioned by thousands of years of daytime life in the "solar key," would need complete readjustment and indeed reversal in order to come to terms with it. Daylight isolates objects, bestowing a noisy Meaning on all the odds and ends in the world. But night takes everything away except the very soul of things: a black light, a transparent darkness, a secret we cannot grasp. During the long night of the Erocene era man caught a glimpse of the Giraluna rising mysteriously in its barren landscape. Presolar man imagined himself the child of the Moon. In her lap he had known the comfort of the life, silent torpor of the night, and by her light he had seen silver pearls lie weightlessly upon the coronas of the first great flowers. But he left us only a few enigmatic signs of all this: the Feisenburg cave, the petrified bones in the Ahmenstadt tumulus, the Boergen Cup. Paradoxically enough, all that we do in fact know of his presence in that landscape comes to us from our study of his nocturnal vegetation, Around the middle of the Erocene era, when the flowers of night were fading away in the light of a new dawn, man saw that outlines and colors were slowly hardening. Thus he discovered the stone-hard world of day, and learned to be the child of both Sun and Moon, of Amnes and Ra, of Disarm and Karak, of Nemsa and Taor. The "crawling stones" of Yorkshire, the stele of Tapur, the graffiti of Klagenstadt, these have preserved for us the nearly obliterated images of the two divinities who from the center of their temples drew the design of the universe. But the Sun was not long in attaining absolute power over everything in the world. "O Ra, o Amno Ra our benefactor, glowing and flaming! Gods and men bow down before you, for you are their creator and their only Lord." Such was the prayer of Amresh, High Priest of Egypt. And a new vegetation, outspoken and exuberant, appeared on the earth, and made the bright leaves dance in the morning breeze. Night soon became no more than a dark corridor joining one day to another, a place of visions and memories, a storehouse of words and images. It became a secret refuge where the vanished flowers could once more flaunt their coronas to the Moon. And thousands of years later the black flowers of that distant night-Giraluna, Lunaspora, Solea argentea-were born from seeds hidden deep in a soil rich with legends and stories. If our knowledge of the Giraluna is today reasonably complete and detailed this is due to the industry and scholarship of Professor Johannes Hydendorp of the University of Honingen, who has collected and collated all known facts and kept his records abreast of the latest developments. Our historical and geographical information comes from the most varied sources: legends and folk tales handed down from generation to generation, accounts given by explorers, anthropologists, and paleontologists, and of course the more recent testimony of botanists such as Heinz Hornemann and Pierre Maessens. Source: Sivatherium. narod .edu About Sculpture: Leo Lionni is best known today for his children's books: Little Blue and Little Yellow; Frederick—the one about the mouse who gathers poems while his family is harvesting seeds for the winter—Swimmy the Fish. Of course the children don't remember his name, but to parents and grandparents, the ones who actually do the reading, he is something of a celebrity. Most people don't realize that Lionni is also one of the 20th-century's most influential graphic designers. Within that field, he is a legend. In fact, he didn't start doing children's books until he had left the world of advertising, teaching, and design to allow more time for contemplation and for art. Little Blue and Little Yellow (1959) began as an improvised entertainment for bored grandchildren. What can you do with a few scraps of colored paper and a lot of imagination ? Make the first best-selling children's book illustrated with abstract art. Before that his work as design director for Olivetti Corporation of America and the art director of Fortune magazine, the co-founder of the Aspen...

Salt and pepper shaker holder Chinese by Richard Rohac.

Mid-20th century Torino ceramic semi-nude woman sculpture 'Portatrice Africana' by C.I.A. Manna By: C.I.A. Manna Material: ceramic, paint Technique: gilt, glazed, hand-crafted, molded, painted, pressed, unglazed Dimensions: 6 in x 22 in Date: mid-20th century Style: Mid-Century Modern, Space Age Place of origin: Italy This mid-20th century Italian ceramic sculpture titled 'Portatrice Africana' was handcrafted by C.I.A. Manna in Torino, Italy. Molded from ceramic clay and meticulously hand-painted, it depicts a semi-nude african woman carrying a large clay vessel...

Large and impressive sailboat model by Jere, signed and dated ( Jere 1976 ). This example can be displayed as a freestanding objet, or can be mounted on...

Great pair of mid-century polychrome glazed ceramic foo dogs, circa 1960s. Great detail and a beautiful color combination of green, brown, cream and blue; the pair measure 12" W x 8....

Hand carved wooden mother and child statue. Or Madonna and child. Mid Century modernist in style. Nice rich wood patina with intricate craftsme...

Striking life size giant clam shell sculpture or object of art having the iconic form and texture with a silver plated finish by D'Argenta Studios.

1940s. This item is made in bronze and might show slight traces of use since it's vintage, but it can be considered as in excellent original condition and ready to become a piece in ...

Solid bronze sculpture. This piece features the male form. A beautiful display piece for a shelf or paperweight. Signed G. Shaw. Dimensions 4" width x 1.75" depth x 4.25" height. C...

Large and whimsical jewelry chest made of hand-carved stacked laminated walnut, with spring loaded drawers. Signed, dated and in excellent condition.

French vintage decorative ceramic wall plaque with three figures, by Les Argonautes, Vallauris, France (circa 1960s). A refreshingly naive and charming piece depicting three men in olden robes and hats. It is up to the viewer to decide who they represent. This stoneware piece is weighty and substantial and may be hung on the wall or simply allowed to lean against a vertical surface. There's no doubt it is a charming piece by a renowned pair of French ceramicists who created 'Les Argonautes' pottery studio. This piece is signed on the backside: 'Les Argonautes'. It is in good condition. Hanging string on rear. Upon request a video may be provided. About the artists: Isabelle Ferlay (Born 1917) and Frédérique Bourguet (1925-1997) set up a pottery studio together in Vallauris in the South of France which they named 'Les Argonautes'. Using the local Vallauris red...

Brass bird sculpture. Measures: Width 42 cm. Height 20 cm. Depth 18 cm. Weight 2 kg.

Beautiful, and large, vintage Murano hand blown Sommerso glowing Uranium yellow green with dark olive head Italian art glass hummingbird sculpture...

Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown pink, white, gold flecks and controlled bubbles Italian art glass sculptural seashell bowl. Documented to designer Alfredo Barbini. The piece has ...