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Figurative Sculptures For Sale
Recognized Seller Listings
Boeltz Style Large Shell Sculpture in Gold with Malachite Elements 1970s
Located in New York, NY
Large shell sculpture model No 22, 24-karat plated "exploded bronze" design with malachite accents, in the manner of Claude Victor Boeltz, France 1970's. Boeltz’s "exploded-bronze" p...
Category

1970s French Modern Vintage Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Malachite, Gold Plate, Bronze

Shiva Flower Vase by Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Shiva flower vase by Ettore Sottsass was designed in 1973 following the inspiration garnered from his love for Catalan women w...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Frederick Remington "Bronco Buster" Bronze. American, Circa 1940's
Located in Incline Village, NV
This is a circa 1940's second casting of the iconic bronze by Frederick Remington, entitled "Bronco Buster"; originally cast by the Roman Bronze Works Foundry in upstate New York bet...
Category

1940s American Art Nouveau Vintage Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Bonsai" Sculpture by Simone Crestani, Italy, 2020
Located in New York, NY
Fire-worked clear and blue borosilicate glass in the form of a miniature tree set atop a bulbous base. Signed and dated on the trunk. One of a kind-- ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Blown Glass

Large Italian Orientalist Marble and Gilt Bronze Sculpture by Fatorini
Located in London, GB
Large Italian Orientalist marble and gilt bronze sculpture by Fatorini Italian, Late 19th Century Height 53cm, width 58cm, depth 33cm This superb Orientalist Italian sculpture combi...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Carrara Marble, Siena Marble, Ormolu

20th Century Dino Gavina Marble Sculture mod. Altare Della Buona Fortuna
Located in Turin, Turin
Dino Gavina was an Italian designer, entrepreneur, and publisher. He began his career in the 1940s working on stage sets. Visual arts were a great passion for Gavina. In 1960, Dino G...
Category

1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble

20th Century Charles O. Perry for Gavina Sculture mod. Dada
Located in Turin, Turin
Charles Owen Perry was an American sculptor particularly known for his large-scale public sculptures. Perry initially studied architecture at Yale University, graduating in 1958. He...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

‘Le Grand Jockey ‘I by Sidore Jules Bonheur
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
Isidore Jules Bonheur (French, 1827-1901) ‘Le Grand Jockey ‘ Signed 'I Bonheur' and with foundry stamp PEYROL EDITEUR'. Bronze, rich mid-brown pa...
Category

19th Century French Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French Antique Bronze Sculpture “Awakening of Nature” by Emile Picault
Located in Shippensburg, PA
EMILE PICAULT French, 1833-1915 "Reveil de la Nature" (The Awakening of Nature) Sand-cast patinated bronze signed to naturalistic base "E. PICAULT" with the title of the work embo...
Category

19th Century French Romantic Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Cast stone Sculpture of Nude with Cat by William Zorach
Located in Montreal, QC
Cast stone Sculpture of Nude with Cat by William Zorach Incised signature near base '©WZ Zorach William Zorach' with publisher's mark. This work is from the edition published by Robi...
Category

1940s American Art Deco Vintage Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Cast Stone

Rare Viktor Schreckengost Little Nell
Located in Chicago, IL
Rare Viktor Schreckengost Little Nell, Glazed Porcelain Figurine with an impressed manufacturer's mark on the base. Dimensions: 5.5" H x 4" W x 3.5" D. Schreckengost (June 26, 1906 –...
Category

1930s American Vintage Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Garden Statue, Belgium circa 1900
Located in Culver City, CA
Garden Statue Belgium circa 1900 Cast iron statue of a boy with draping cloth, on composite stone base. 17.25”w x 17.25”d x 44”h
Category

20th Century Belgian Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone, Iron

'Morning' & 'Evening, A Pair Of White Marble Portrait Roundels, By Madison Colby
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Pair Of White Marble Portrait Roundels Of Female Portraits Representing 'Morning' and 'Evening', By Madison Colby (American, 1842-1871). White statuary marble. 'Morning' signed ’...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Carrara Marble

Archer Statue by Salvatore Melani
Located in Austin, TX
Statue of an archer with drawn bow made of  bronze patinated pewter. The sculpture sits on a black marble base adorned with two onyx embellishments. The figure is in very good antiqu...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Set of Sitzendorf Porcelain Figures of the Four Seasons
Located in London, GB
Set of Sitzendorf porcelain figures of the four seasons German, 20th Century Largest: Height 14cm, width 10cm, depth 7.5cm Smallest: Height 14cm, width 9cm, depth 7.5cm These Ger...
Category

20th Century German Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

French Orientalist Bronze Sculpture of Arab Bedouin Man by Emile Pinedo
Located in Shippensburg, PA
EMILE PINEDO French, 1840-1916 "Arabe en Marche" Patinated, burnished and polychromed bronze signed "PINEDO" and sealed with editeur cachet for "Bronze Garanti au Titre Paris" It...
Category

20th Century French Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Ancient Egyptian Monumental Temple Sphinxes
Located in London, GB
A pair of monumental limestone sphinxes of Pharaoh Nectanebo I, from the processional avenue of the Serapeum of Memphis, 30th Dynasty, circa 379 - 360 BC. The sphinxes of the Serapeum have captivated travellers since Roman times. However, despite their significance, they are conspicuously absent from the collections of most major museums. Indeed, their existence in private hands is so improbable, and their imitations so numerous, that the present sphinxes were assumed to be modern copies throughout their recent ownership history. Finally recognised and conserved after an extraordinary chance discovery at a garden furniture sale...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Egyptian Egyptian Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Limestone

Antique Italian Marble “Ascanius“ Statue
Located in Austin, TX
Marble statue from Italy. “The statue represents a naked boy, sitting on a rock, intent on removing a thorn from his foot, probably from treading grapes during the harvest. This them...
Category

1880s Italian Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Carrara Marble

Large Multi-Patinated Bronze Figure of an Arab Warrior by Henri-Honoré Plé
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Large and Important Multi-Patinated Bronze Figure of an Arab Warrior by Henri Honoré Plé. Signed Henri Plé to the base. The figure is finely modelled as an Arab warrior, with sw...
Category

19th Century French Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French Orientalist Bronze Sculpture of Water Carrier by Louis Hiolin
Located in Shippensburg, PA
LOUIS HIOLIN French, 1846-1910 "Aguador" Patinated and Polychromed Bronze signed to base “Hiolin” cast circa early 20th century Item # 311CSG30P-9 A little treasure, this Orien...
Category

Early 20th Century French Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Chinese Export Porcelain Figures of Attendants, Set of Five
Located in Downingtown, PA
Chinese Export Porcelain Figures of Attendants, Set of Five, Circa 1780 The set of five Chinese Export porcelain figures are painted in famille rose enamels with a purple robe and s...
Category

Late 18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Rare French Modernist Bronze Sculpture of “Eve” (1937) by Aime Octobre
Located in Shippensburg, PA
JEREMIE AIMÉ DELPHIN OCTOBRE French, 1868-1943 "Eve" (1937) Lost-wax verdigris and medium-brown patinated bronze signed in the cast "AIME OCTOBRE 1937", foundry cachet verso "cire...
Category

20th Century French Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Rare French Art Deco “Female Dancer” by Pierre Le Faguays ca. 1930
Located in Shippensburg, PA
PIERRE LE FAGUAYS French, 1892-1962 Female Dancer with a Draped Garment Lost-wax cast bronze signed "Le Faguays", "cire purdue", "Susse Fres. Edts. Paris”, cold-stamped “BRONZE" an...
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Bronze Figures by Etienne-Henri Dumaige
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Fine Pair of Bronze Figures Entitled 'Avant le Combat' and 'Apres le Combat', Cast from the models by Etienne-Henri Dumaige (1830 - 1888). Signed H. Dumaige, with title plaquet...
Category

19th Century French Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French Antique Bronze Sculpture of “Orpheus” by Albert Carrier-Belleuse
Located in Shippensburg, PA
ALBERT CARRIER-BELLEUSE French, 1824-1887 "Orpheus" Multi-tone patinated sand-cast bronze signed in script to stool "A. Carrier" cast circa 1870 Item # 307WTP19D An exceedingly...
Category

19th Century French Romantic Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Pair of 19th Century Italian Alabaster Lions after Antonio Canova
Located in Mjöhult, SE
Fine pair of Italian mid 19th Century alabaster stone lions with great patination. Based on the monumental lions by the greatest Italian neoclassical sculptor. Antonio Canova (1757-1822). Canova Lions refers to the pair of copies of lion sculptures by Antonio Canova. When Canova created the sculptures in 1792, he installed them on the tomb of Pope Clement XIII. The marble sculptures are some of the most prominent features in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Given the intricacies of creating the original Canova lions, some artists created molds and replicated them. A good example is the pair of lion sculptures...
Category

19th Century Italian Grand Tour Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone, Alabaster

"ARC EN CIEL" Sculpture by Lucio Del Pezzo for Plura Edizioni, Italy, 1970s
By Lucio Del Pezzo, Plura Edizioni
Located in Milan, IT
"Arc en Ciel" Sculpture by Lucio Del Pezzo for Plura Edizioni, Milano. Steel and colored plexiglass sculpture. Signed and limited numbered edition on paper label.
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Steel

French Bronze Sculpture “Shivering Worker” in manner of Constantin Meunier
By Constantin Meunier
Located in Shippensburg, PA
MANNER OF CONSTANTIN MEUNIER [French, 1831-1905] A Shivering Worker Sand-cast patinated bronze signed to the base "Meunier" in script Item # 304PBD20W An incredibly fine and com...
Category

19th Century French Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

A Grand Tour Regency bronze figure of Mercury (Hermes) on a marble column
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A Grand Tour Regency bronze figure of Mercury (Hermes) on a composite marble column, the messenger of the gods is shown running on winged feet supported on a puff of wind with a torc...
Category

1810s Italian Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Exceptional Egyptian Sarcophagus Mask
Located in London, GB
Exceptionally Fine Wooden Sarcophagus Mask Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty, circa 1069-945 BC. Acacia wood, rosewood, hippopotamus ivory Masterfully carved from a single piece of fine-grained hardwood, the present mask is characteristic of the most exquisite funerary art made during the 21st Dynasty, and was probably commissioned for a particularly high-ranking individual. The oval face displays a gently smiling mouth with full, outlined lips, furrows at the corners and a bow-shaped philtrum. The straight nose with rounded nostrils, the cheeks full and fleshy and the large, almond shaped eyes with heavy lids and tapering cosmetic lines, set below long, sweeping eyebrows. Social collapse across the Mediterranean in the Late Bronze Age meant that the 21st Dynasty in Egypt was a period of great turmoil. Trade routes were disrupted, governments collapsed, and mass migration occurred. Economic scarcity meant that traditional funerary practices in Egypt were also affected, with a lack of material and financial resources leading to the reuse of preexisting material. As a result, during the 21st Dynasty, 19th and 20th Dynasty coffins changed ownership rapidly and were heavily recycled for new purposes. Tombs were also unmarked allowing them to be shared by many people. These new practices brought forth a shift in the understanding of funerary paraphernalia. No longer important objects owned forever by the deceased, they were now simply seen as short-term transformative devices, whose symbolic and ritualistic meaning could be appropriated for others. However, paradoxically, the art of coffin-making also reached new heights during this period, and many of the richly dec- orated “yellow” coffins, characteristic of the 21st Dynasty, are remarkable works of art in their own right. Indeed, knowing that coffins were being reused throughout Egypt, the Egyptian élite set themself apart by commissioning lavish sarcophagi decorated with the images and texts meant to help guide them to the afterlife, and which would otherwise have adorned the tomb walls. As coffins were the chief funerary element which now identified the dead and allowed them a physical presence in the world of the living, their quality and appearance were of the utmost importance. The traditional coffin ensemble was made of three parts: a wooden mummy cover, which laid directly atop the mummy, an inner coffin, and an outer coffin, both made of a lid and case. Additional decorative elements, such as masks, were carved out separately and later glued or pegged to the lids. After the completion of the painted decoration, the sarcophagus was covered in a varnish to give it its yellow colour. Gilding was sometimes used for the coffins of the high priests’ families, notably on parts representing naked skin, such as the face mask. However, some of the élite tactically avoided gilding altogether as to ensure that their coffin would not be looted. When manufacturing the inner and outer coffins, particular attention was paid to the woodwork. Displaying the skill of the carpenter, this type of funerary art has largely remained unparalleled throughout Egyptian history. The principal wood used to craft the present mask is Acacia nilotica. The evergreen Egyptian acacia was considered sacred and said to be the tree of life, the birthplace of the god Horus, as well as symbolic of Osiris, the god of the dead and resurrection. The modelling of the face in the wood is superb, but the inlays also help mark this mask out as exceptional. Inlaid eyes and eyebrows were extremely rare and reserved to the finest and most expensive coffins. Traditionally, eyes were made of calcite, obsidian, or quartz, and eyebrows of coloured glass paste or bronze. Here, the pupils, eyebrows, and cosmetic lines are inlaid with Dalbergia melanoxylon, a rare type of wood which belongs to the rosewood genus. In antiquity, however, it was known as Ebony of the Pharaohs, from the Egyptian word “hbny”, meaning dark timber, because of its black, lustrous appearance. An extremely dense and hard wood requiring significant skill to work with, ebony was a luxury material highly coveted by the pharaohs themselves, to make furniture, decorative and funerary objects. The wood was imported with great effort from the southern Land of Punt, most likely modern Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea, alongside other luxury goods such as gold and ivory. A magnificent ebony throne, recovered in the tomb of King Tutankhamun, illustrates the incredible aesthetic potential of this material and why it was so highly valued by Egyptian royalty. Only élite members of Egyptian society could have afford- ed Ebony of the Pharaoh inlays for their funerary mask. The sclerae on the present piece were once both inlaid with hippopotamus ivory. Whiter than elephant ivory, this type of ivory is also denser, and more difficult to carve. The use of this luxury material, reputed for its gleaming appearance, enhances the lifelikeness of the eyes. For the Egyptians, hippopotamus ivory was imbued with magic powers. The hippopotamus was indeed both feared and venerated due to its aggressive behaviour. Whilst the male hippopotamus was associated with danger and chaos, the female was benevolent and invoked for protection, especially of the house and of mothers and their children, through the hippopotamus goddess Tawaret. Thus, not only was hippopotamus ivory used as an inlay and to make practical objects, such as combs and clappers, but it was also used to make talismans like apotropaic wands or knives. Made during a time of scarcity where few could afford made-to-order coffins, the present mask could have only belonged to one of the highest-ranking individuals in society. Undoubtedly one of the finest Egyptian coffin...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Egyptian Egyptian Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Fruitwood, Hardwood

Pair of Patinated Bronze Egyptian Figures by Emile Louis Picault
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Pair of Patinated Bronze Figures Of The Egyptian High Priest 'Pastophore' and The Egyptian Scribe 'Hierogrammate' By Emile Louis Picault (French, 1833-1915). Each signed 'Picau...
Category

19th Century French Egyptian Revival Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Large Sitzendorf Porcelain Figural Groups on Horseback
Located in London, GB
Pair of large Sitzendorf porcelain figural groups on horseback German, 20th Century Height 38cm, width 35cm, depth 22cm This pair of porcelain figural groups are notable for their ...
Category

20th Century German Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Cold-Painted Bronze of a Pulled Rickshaw by Bergman
Located in London, GB
Antique cold-painted bronze of a pulled rickshaw by Bergman Austrian, c. 1910 Height 19cm, width 37cm, depth 20cm This unusual cold-painted bronze depicts a running Arab man, who p...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Islamic Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Pair of Antique Meissen Porcelain Figures of Malabar Musicians
Located in London, GB
Pair of antique Meissen porcelain figures of Malabar musicians German, Late 19th Century Woman: Height 33cm, width 13cm, depth 11cm Man: Height 32cm, width 20cm, depth 11cm Expertly crafted in the late 19th century by the artists at Meissen, the figures depict a charming pair of Malabar musicians. The design of this pair is after models by Friedrich Elias Meyer (German 1723–1785), an artist at Meissen. The figure of a lady is playing the hurdy-gurdy and the moustached man the guitar. Both figures are wearing a pale straw hat, their bodies covered by a maroon-coloured and fur lined jacket...
Category

Late 19th Century German Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

French Orientalist Bronze Sculpture of Tunisian Water Carrier after Marcel Debut
Located in Shippensburg, PA
MARCEL DEBUT French, 1865-1933 French Orientalist Model of a Tunisian Young Man Carrying Water Polychromed and patinated bronze signed "Debut", sealed with editeur cachet "Bronze ...
Category

Early 20th Century French Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Small Bronze Ribbed Torquing Figure on Color Acrylic Base, France 1970's
Located in New York, NY
Lovely detail and patina. Perfect desk accessory.
Category

1970s French Neoclassical Vintage Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

A Meiji period bronze of a seated man smoking
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A Meiji period bronze of a seated man smoking, shown with his pipe in his right hand resting on a rootwood base, wearing workman’s clothing with bare feet, the face expressively carv...
Category

Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French Orientalist Antique Bronze Sculpture by Edouard Drouot of Shoeshine Boy
Located in Shippensburg, PA
EDOUARD DROUOT French, 1859-1945 "Decrotteur Arabe" [Arab Shoeshine Boy] Patinated and polychromed bronze signed to the reverse "E. Drouot" in script, sealed with editeur cachet f...
Category

Early 20th Century French Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French Orientalist Bronze Sculpture “Arab Shoeshine” after Edouard Drouot
Located in Shippensburg, PA
EDOUARD DROUOT French, 1859-1945 "Decrotteur Arabe" [Arab Shoeshine Boy] Patinated and polychromed bronze signed to the reverse "E. Drouot" in script, sealed with editeur cachet f...
Category

20th Century French Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French Orientalist Bronze Sculpture of Woman Carrying Fruit after Marcel Debut
Located in Shippensburg, PA
MARCEL DEBUT French, 1865-1933 French Orientalist Model of a Girl Carrying Fruit Baskets Polychromed and patinated bronze signed "Debut", sealed with editeur cachet "Bronze Garanti...
Category

20th Century French Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

A rare Anglo-Chinese Regency polychrome painted wax and wood group of two Chines
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A rare Anglo-Chinese Regency polychrome painted wax and wood group of two Chinese card players, both with nodding heads with horsetail top-knots, wearing jackets with large collars, ...
Category

19th Century Chinese Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

French Orientalist Bronze Sculpture of North African Berber Boy by Marcel Debut
Located in Shippensburg, PA
MARCEL DEBUT French, 1865-1933 "Berber Drinking Water" Polychromed and patinated bronze signed "Debut", sealed with editeur cachet "Bronze Garanti Au Titre Paris", applied plaque a...
Category

20th Century French Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Rare French Orientalist Bronze Sculpture Arab Warrior after Jean Didier Debut
Located in Shippensburg, PA
JEAN-DIDIER DEBUT French, 1824-1893 French Orientalist Model of a Janissaire Warrior Polychromed and patinated bronze signed "E. Debut", sealed with editeur cachet "Bronze Garanti...
Category

Early 20th Century French Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French Orientalist Bronze Sculpture of Arab Man in Prayer by Antoine Bofill
Located in Shippensburg, PA
ANTOINE BOFILL French, active 1880-1921 "Arabe en Prière" [Arab Man in Prayer] Polychromed and patinated bronze signed "Bofill", sealed with editeur cachet "Bronze Garanti Au Titr...
Category

20th Century French Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

German Antique Bronze Sculpture “Fencer” by Fritz Heinemann
Located in Shippensburg, PA
FRITZ HEINEMANN German, 1864-1932 "Der Fechter" [The Fencer] (1903) Patinated and parcel gilt bronze signed in cast "Fritz Heinemann" and inscribed "Akt Ges Gladenbek Berlin" raised over original black and white marble plinth cast circa 1915 Item # 310IXP02A A very fine example of a nude warrior after achieving victory in battle titled "Der Fechter" or "The Fencer", it is a reduction of the monumental marble...
Category

20th Century German Art Deco Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Viennese Cold-Painted Bronze and Marble Figurative Sculpture by Bergman
Located in London, GB
Viennese cold-painted bronze and marble figurative sculpture by Bergman Austrian, c. 1910 Height 25cm, width 31cm, depth 10cm Franz Xaver Bergman (1861-1936), a renowned Austrian a...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Sculptural table lamp designed by Paul Kedelv for AB Flygsfors Glasbruk, Sweden
Located in Stockholm, SE
Sculptural table lamp designed by Paul Kedelv for AB Flygsfors Glasbruk, Sweden, 1960s
Category

1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Pair of bronze standing figures of Spanish explorer & Conquistador Hernan Cortes
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A pair of bronze standing figures of Spanish explorer and Conquistador, Hernan Cortes, by CharlesCumberworth, shown wearing different suits of armour, each with a shaped breastplate,...
Category

Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

A White Statuary Marble Figural Group of Apollo and Daphne After Bernini
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
An Impressive White Statuary Marble Figural Group of Apollo and Daphne After The Celebrated Model by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680) at the Galleria Borghese in Rome, On Dove Grey Marble Pedestal. Sculpted in the round from a single block of white statuary marble. The male figure of Apollo captured as if in motion, running forward with his weight balanced on his right leg, his robe billowing behind. He leans forward encircling with his left arm the goddess Daphne and at that very moment she transforms into a laurel tree. The statue stands atop an original solid dove grey marble pedestal with rotating mechanism. Bernini’s depiction of the transformation myth of Apollo and Daphne is a sculptural masterpiece of pure virtuosity. Bernini pushes to the limit the plastic possibility of sculpted marble to freezeframe the moment when the goddess Daphne transforms into a laurel tree to escape Apollo. Just as Apollo thinks he has caught her, Daphne’s fleeing form begins to be enveloped by the encircling bark; her fingers leaf out; her toes take root. Apollo encircles her waist with a confident arm; but his facial expression indicates the beginning of an awareness that something has gone wrong. Daphne seems ignorant of her transformation as she looks back over her shoulder, lips parted in fright. Her mouth seems to frame a silent scream as her face goes blank under the force of transformation. Daphne’s hair swings around as a result of her sudden arrest and blows free with a lightness Bernini himself felt he never equalled. The story of Apollo and Daphne originates in Greek mythology, but the most well-known version is the lyrical telling by the Roman poet Ovid in his Metamorphoses (I.438-567), a collection of Greek fables first written in 8 CE. The myth purportedly explains the origin of the laurel tree and its connection to Apollo. He says he will wear her leaves in his hair, will use her wood to make a bow and lyre and that a crown made of her branches will adorn the heads of royalty and campions of game and battle. Apollo uses his powers of eternal youth and immortality to render the laurel tree an evergreen. The subject of Apollo and Daphne is common in paintings but rare in sculpture for the obvious reason that neither hot pursuit nor transformation from flesh to vegetation seemed remotely suited to three-dimensional treatment. However, Bernini triumphs in his handling of such a challenging subject, creating an hallucinatory effect whereby the figures appear to almost skim over the ground. Bernini’s statue of Apollo and Daphne was commissioned by Cardinal Borghese (1577-1633) and begun in 1622 but not completed until 1625 owning to an interluded during which Bernini sculpted his statue of ‘David’. Cardinal Borghese was secretary to his uncle Pope Paul V and in the classic pattern of papal nepotism wielded enormous power as the effective head of the Vatican government. Cardinal Borghese as an art collector was patron of the painter Caravaggio and the artist Bernini. As was the practice, Bernini did not execute the sculpture entirely by his own hand, but with help from his workshop. The finer details that show Daphne’s conversion from human to tree, such as the twigs and leaves springing from her hands, were undertaken by Bernini’s pupil Giuliano Finelli (1601–1653). Apollo and Daphne is still in situ in the Galleria Borghese in the room for which is was made, although today it is positioned at the centre of the room instead of closer to the wall and facing a doorway as originally intended. Bernini’s statue of Apollo and Daphne was immediately acclaimed as a masterpiece for revealing his outstanding talent and innovative spirit, especially the ability to portray both actions and emotions. Appreciation for Apollo and Daphne continued, with a French traveller in 1839 complimenting it as "astonishing both for mechanism of art and elaborateness, and full of charm in the ensemble and the details” (A. Valery, Historical, Literary, and Artistic Travels in Italy: A Complete and Methodical Guide for Travellers and Artists. Baudry. 1839 p. 596). More recently, the historian Robert Torsten Petersson called it “an extraordinary masterpiece ... suffused with an energy that works out of the tips of the laurel leaves and Apollo's hand and drapery” (R.-T. Petersson, Bernini and the Excesses of Art, Fordham Univ Press, 2002, p.80). The fame of Apollo and Daphne made it a must see for visiting Grand Tourists during the 18th and 19th centuries and the wealthiest could commission a replica. Fulfilling this demand in the late 19th century were the workshops of Roman sculptor such as Raffaello Romanelli, Ernesto Gazzeri...
Category

19th Century Italian Renaissance Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Statuary Marble

Bronze Figure of Jeanne d'Arc From The Model By Louis Ernest Barrias
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Large Patinated Bronze Figure of ‘Jeanne d'Arc Prisonnière’ (‘Prisoner Joan of Arc’), By Louis-Ernest Barrias (French, 1841–1905). Joan of Arc modelled standing, in handcuffs and armour and wearing a Bascinet helmet. Signed ‘E. Barrias’ and with foundry mark ‘Susse Fres Edit Paris', Stamped 'PS'. Titled on the base: ‘Vous avez pu m'enchainer/vous n'enchainerez jamais la Fortune de la France/Jeanne d'Arc’ ('You were able to chain me but you will never chain the will of France. Joan of Arc’). Cast as part of a limited edition by the Susse Frères foundry, Paris, from the model by Louis-Ernest Barrias (French, 1841 – 1905). The model conceived Circa 1891 and Cast Circa 1910. In 1891 Barrias completed his touching life-size portrait of 'Jeanne d'Arc devant ses judges' ('Joan of Arc before the judges') in marble for her monument at the Church...
Category

19th Century French Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Staffordshire Pottery Figure of President Abraham Lincoln on Horseback
Located in Downingtown, PA
Staffordshire Pottery Figure of Lincoln on Horseback Mid-19th Century The figure depicts President Abraham Lincoln sitting on horseback, his head turned towards the viewer, on an ov...
Category

1860s English Early Victorian Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Pottery

French Bronze Sculpture Seated Woman by Etienne-Henri Dumaige
Located in Shippensburg, PA
ETIENNE-HENRI DUMAIGE French, 1830-1888 Classical Seated Woman with Treasure Spilling at Her Feet Burnished and patinated bronze over original polished black marble base signed in cast "H. Dumaige Sculpt" and cold-stamped 3750 circa 1875 Item # 309OXB09P This exquisite cast depicts a full-length seated female modeled with echoes of classical antiquity. Dumaige seeks to depict the young woman as a noble likely of the Roman Empire, her wealth an obscene display with pearls falling from her fingers almost as an afterthought over a chest of jewels with treasure spilling from the lid before her overstuffed throne with a richly decorated pillow...
Category

19th Century French Romantic Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

'L'Amour Vainqueur' ('A Love Vanquished') By Adolphe Itasse (French, 1830 - 1893
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Fine Patinated Bronze Figural Group of Cupid and Psyche, Entitled 'L'Amour Vainqueur' ('A Love Vanquished') By Adolphe Itasse (French, 1830 - 1893). On a revolving rouge de Fran...
Category

19th Century French Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

'Cupid & Psyche' an Important Bronze Figure by François-Raoul Larche
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
'Cupid & Psyche' - An important parcel-gilt and patinated bronze figure, by François-Raoul Larche. Signed to the base 'Raoul Larche 1891'. This finely cast parcel-gilt bronze figure depicts Cupid and Psyche with Zephyr. François-Raoul Larche (1860-1912), the son of an ornamental sculptor, was a well-known Art Nouveau sculptor...
Category

19th Century French Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French Bronze Sculpture “The Amateur” by Pierre Detrier circa 1890
Located in Shippensburg, PA
PIERRE-LOUIS DÉTRIER French, 1822-1897 "Un Amateur at Salon" (1888) Sand-cast and patinated bronze original engraved plaque on front noting title "Un Amateur / Salon 1888", unsign...
Category

19th Century French Romantic Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Two-Tone Patinated Bronze Sculpture by G. Leroux Depicting Aida
Located in London, GB
Two-tone patinated bronze sculpture by G. Leroux depicting Aida French, Late 19th Century Height 75cm, width 33cm, depth 35cm This sensational bronze sculpture is cast after an ori...
Category

Late 19th Century French Egyptian Revival Antique Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Large Austrian Wood and Cold-Painted Bronze Lamp
Located in London, GB
Large Austrian wood and cold-painted bronze lamp Austria, c. 1910 Height 42cm, width 41cm, depth 30cm This Orientalist lamp is an unusual example of the...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Islamic Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Large Antique Austrian Cold-Painted Bronze Figurative Sculpture by Bergman
Located in London, GB
Large antique Austrian cold-painted bronze figurative sculpture by Bergman Austrian, c. 1910 Height 33cm, width 19cm, depth 14cm ...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Islamic Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Antique, New and Vintage Figurative Sculptures

Figurative sculpture is a modern art form in which artists create work that is typically representative of the visible world. However, sculptures that are considered to be figurative in style can definitely be inclusive of abstract elements. A wide range of antique, new and vintage figurative sculptures has been made over the years by both well-known and emerging artists, and these pieces can prove striking and provocative as part of your home decor.

Realistic representation in visual art has a very long history. And while figurative artists, whether figurative painters or sculptors, find inspiration in humans, animals and real-life objects, good figurative sculptures can make us think differently about how the real world should look. Just as figurative paintings might include Photorealistic human likenesses, they can also include elements of Surrealism and can suggest a creative and alternative reality. Figurative sculptures aren’t always realistic impressions of our world — depictions of the human form in classical Greek sculpture, for example, might emphasize beauty and physical perfection.

There are a variety of figurative sculptures on 1stDibs created by artists working in a number of styles, including Art Deco, Art Nouveau, mid-century modern and more. A large figurative sculpture can introduce an excellent focal point in a guest bedroom, while smaller works might draw the eye to spaces such as wall shelving or a bookcase that people may otherwise overlook.

When decorating your living room, dining room, home office and study areas with figurative sculptures, don’t be afraid to choose bold colors to inject brightness into neutral spaces. Texture is another factor to consider when purchasing figurative sculptures. A highly textural work of ceramics or wood will catch the eye in a sleek modern space, whereas a smooth, flat glass sculpture can offer an often much-needed contrast in a room that already has many textures.

On 1stDibs, find antique, new or vintage figurative sculpture or other kinds of sculpture for your home decor today.

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