Gesso Figurative Sculptures

18th century Italian holy water font with two angels framed with polished agate coral wings on fossil coral.  The Italian holy water front is from a historical Italian church and is...

Chinoiserie pagoda. Very decorative Italian painted plaster and wood three-tiered pagoda alla Mongiardino emanating from marine inspired grotto base with four masks issuing water in...

Pair antique bronze patinated angel putti sconces. Italian late 17th century bronze putti with exceptional modeling seated on scrolled arms each ex...

Expertly cast and lacquered bronze finished sculpture of an atlas type figure supporting a bevelled 1" thick glass top. The base is a stepped and black lacquered rectangular plinth.

An attractive carved wood figure of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, known as Guanyin in China, late Ming Dynasty, early 17th century, China. Guanyi...

Completely hand-crafted in 18th century Spain, this sculpture of the Virgin stands 1.5 meters / 5 feet tall and was most certainly created for devotional purposes, to be displayed in a church or chapel. Besides its impressive size this sculpture is an excellent, museum-quality example of the Spanish “Estofado” polychrome technique, developed during the Gothic period to imitate rich brocade fabrics. The finely carved “fabric” areas of the sculpture would be first covered in gesso, and then a layer of gold leaf would be applied. The gold leaf would then be painted over with various colors of tempera paints. Once dry, the painted surface would be incised or scratched away in patterns, revealing the gold beneath. The sculpture was professionally restored in 2022 by a firm that is often hired by the Spanish government to work on historic building interiors and museum pieces. The virgin was carefully cleaned, repaired and its condition stabilized. A complete and fully-illustrated restoration report will be included with purchase. Often confused with the virgin birth of Jesus, the belief that the Blessed Virgin Mary herself was conceived “immaculately” without original sin has been variously defended and debated within the Catholic Church since the pre-Middle Ages. For centuries, artists struggled to create an acceptable visual representation of this highly abstract concept, in part taking inspiration from the Book of Revelation and other scriptural sources. We see the Virgin standing on a half moon (biblically inspired, though also an ancient symbol of chastity) with her long natural hair loose down her back, another indication of purity. Both her white tunic and flowing blue mantle...

Beautiful antique wooden Corpus Christi (body of Christ) statue, sculpture, from around the beginning of the 18th century probably Flemish Beautiful wood carving and polychrome (pai...

Italian set of Five death mask Italian death mask cast, circa 1930s. Showing in the 19th century glass country cabinet.The price is only for the mask t...

A finely detailed devotional figure of the infant Christ (Niño Dios), typical of 19th-century Guatemalan religious art. Carved in wood with polychrome decoration and inset glass eyes...

18th century exceptional Italian carved wood and polychromed figure depicting baby Jesus holding the world in his hand, he has halo made from sterling silver and the globe is also sterling silver.This piece would have originally been dressed in an elaborate gown and would have been changed into different attire depending on the holy season. Extremely detailed and the carving is exceptional. this piece came from a very reputable merchant in Verona, I did inherit it from my mother in Law...

From the 1700s through the early 1800s, European aristocrats developed a fascination with ancient Egyptian culture and design that culminated in a full Egyptian Revival. Prominent figures such as Marie Antoinette and Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned rooms decorated with Egyptian motifs. This cultural moment reflects a fascination with a sophisticated civilization of great artists and pharaohs. The Regency era possessed very little knowledge of the Great Pyramids or hieroglyphics, a quality that lent Egyptian art interpretation a compelling air of mystique. This English Regency period gilt carving depicts a popular figure of borrowed Egyptian motif: the Sphinx. Recognized among educated circles as a symbol of brilliance in the ancient past, the Sphinx was well-known as a mythological creature who destroys those who failed to answer her riddle. Such a piece as this, excellent in detail and craftsmanship, may have once graced the mantle of a gentleman’s study or been exchanged as a gift between British scholars. The beautiful gold surface has been achieved by an artful combination of gilt and gesso; the art enthusiast will appreciate the intricate texture realized in the carving’s hair and tail as well as the delicate detailing of the saddle. Borrowing from the Egyptians, the Greeks had their own interpretation of the Sphinx. Greek mythology chronicled the Sphinx as being the daughter of Orthous and Chimera or Laius and attributed the riddles, which she proposed, as having been taught to her by the Muses. Crowned with a Grecian diadem and having a refined expression, she evokes an ancient yet reserved intellect. For the modern-day enthusiast of classical Greek art...

This beautiful life-size plaster cast of the singing angels by Luca della Robbia and part of a collection of plaster casts from a Florentine collector, faithfully represents the orig...

This impressive 19th-century plaster sculpture depicts a classical Greek figure and was crafted in a French atelier. Standing at 180 cm tall, the sculpture is in very good condition,...

Rare French, 19th century, Empire. Large size carved wood and gesso gilt eagle, with its full body, swept back wings, pronounced talons, perched on a ball. Important size. Conditi...

Exclusively handcrafted piece. This sphere is created using the ancient Chinese papier-mâché technique – a millennia-old craft that eventually spread worldwide. Traditionally employe...

3-681 Oversized impressive gesso male figural library sculpture.

This hand-carved wooden figure represents the Virgin Mary as a child, known as Niña María, a revered devotional subject in Spanish Colonial art. Crafted in 19th-century Guatemala, th...

3-950 Oversized impressive gesso male figural library sculpture.

Scultura in gesso raffigurante testa di uomo degli anni '60. La scultura rappresenta il ritratto di un uomo maturo con lineamenti marcati, notiamo infatti delle profonde rughe e un'...

BEAUTIFUL HANDBAG, Year 1950. Fantastic paper-covered plaster mannequin, all original. Complete with wooden arms without hands and fixed on an iron base. The price of shipping is ...

pre 1825, Spanish Colonial, wooden polychrome column base depicting a putti holding up a corbel where a pillar would have been sat. The pillar is long gone but the intricate carvings...

Italian Plaster Sculpture Depicting Moses Inspired by Michelangelo Early 1900s. This plaster work recreates one of the masterpieces of Renaissance art, Michelangelo's Moses, inspired...

18th century English wood carved standing Chinese attendant with lotus bowl, The well carved and decorated figure with glass eyes, holding a 10 inch...

A pair of hand crafted wood and gilt gesso overlay baroque display stands (ideal for clocks or small statues and busts), each with applied harleq...

19th Century country house dinner gong figure We are proud to offer an exceptional 55-inch-tall fine figural country house dinner gong figure in the form of an oriental man which is hand carved pine with gesso detail. All section carved body, shaped bamboo legs and midsection detail with glass eyes. With long ponytail real hair detail. Wearing its original 19th century Chinese court official's winter hat made of soft black velvet and is covered with red silk fringe and hand-crafted brass and wood knob. The green colour knob on the top of the hat indicates that this hat was a Qing official's hat, and the knob is an imperial court cap knob button antique...

19th Century carved and painted wood figure of a troubadour or minstrel wearing a hat and long coat with his trousers tucked into knee-high boots and having a violin under one arm wi...

19th century St Francis wearing a rob with rope tied around his waist. Holding with two-arm a child.

Exclusively handcrafted piece. This sphere is created using the ancient Chinese papier-mâché technique – a millennia-old craft that eventually spread worldwide. Traditionally employe...

Signed plaster sculpture, 1970s Chipboard base and plasterboard lower platform H58 x L70 x P100 - Kg40 Style Vintage Periodo del design 1970 - 1979 Production Period 1970 - 1979 Yea...

St. Florian (250 A.D. – 304 A.D.), was a the patron saint of firefighters, brewers, chimney sweeps, and the town of Linz, Austria. He served in the Roman army and part of his duties included organizing fire fighting brigades. He was secretly a Christian and became famous for miraculously saving a town from being destroyed by fire; after he prayed and threw a single bucket of water on the blaze, it was extinguished. This beautifully carved and painted statue dates to approximately the end of the 1600s or early 1700s. It clearly depicts St. Florian with a bucket in hand and a flag in the other. At his feet, is a miniature building...

Exclusively handcrafted piece. This sphere is created using the ancient Chinese papier-mâché technique – a millennia-old craft that eventually spread worldwide. Traditionally employe...

Exclusively handcrafted piece. This sphere is created using the ancient Chinese papier-mâché technique – a millennia-old craft that eventually spread worldwide. Traditionally employe...

Golden wooden sphere sculpture formed with a bright golden sphere at the top supported with a gray wooden base. Baroque style from late 20th century. *The item is sold as a unique...

A fine pair of carved pine and specialist aged gesso decorated floor standing columnar Hermes in the manner of William Kent.

Early 19th century Japanese wood noh mask, This mask comes in its original kiri wood storage box, which is signed and dated: Koran, 1811 (Edo period). The box...