Wood Figurative Sculptures
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Material: Wood
1960s Hand Craved Wood Head Tiki Totem Sculpture
Located in Tarrytown, NY
1960s Hand Craved Wood Head Tiki Totem Sculpture
Black highlights
Carvings in the round
Category
1960s Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Chinese Song Dynasty Buddha Stone Head
Located in Kastrup, DK
Stone Buddha head with beautiful, natural, age-related patina from the Chinese Song Dynasty,
The head, measuring 18 x 12 x 12 cm, is mounted on a wooden ...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Chinese Other Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone
Late 19th Century Live Size Renaissance Revival Italian Figural Carved Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
This late 19th-century carved wooden sculpture is a lifesize depiction of a young nobleman of the Italian Renaissance. The piece is made entirely from wood and carved gesso under an ebonized finish, giving it the illusion of an oxidized bronze sculpture. The young man is posed in a classic Contrapposto stance, which is an Italian term that means "counterpoise". This term usually refers to a standing human figure carrying its weight on one leg so that the opposite hip rises to produce a relaxed curve in the body, a dynamic pose that is most associated with Renaissance art. He establishes his stance with a hand on his large belt and one hand in the air holding a torch. This Renaissance revival piece is highly detailed through intricate workmanship, down to the Lion of Saint Mark...
Category
Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Plaster, Wood
Pair of carved Africans by Karl Hagenauer
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Pair of Carved Africans by Karl Hagenauer
Each meticulously crafted piece depicts a male and female African figure in a pose of elegant serenity. They capture the essence of Karl Hag...
Category
20th Century Austrian Art Deco Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Pair Franz Bergmann Austrian Bronze Figures in Moorish Brackets, Early 20th c
Located in Austin, TX
Two good Franz Bergmann Austrian cold painted bronze figures now mounted in highly architectural Moroccan Moorish style carved and inlaid wood brackets, early 20th century, Austria a...
Category
1910s Moroccan Moorish Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Rare French Art Deco Crucifix, 1920, Poor Clares
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Rare French Art Deco bronze & oak crucifix from the Sainte-Claire de Mur de Barrez monastery (Poor Clares, read below), France, 1920s. Close to the work of Ateliers de Marolles. Heig...
Category
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
20th Century Chinese Cork Diorama, 1950s
Located in LEGNY, FR
Beautiful 20th century rectangular Chinese Cork diorama.
Finely carved decoration in its glass case and black lacquered base.
Careful and delicate work ...
Category
1950s Chinese Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Cork
Pair of 17th Century Italian Carved and Polychrome Angel Figures
Located in Essex, MA
Pair of Late 17th/Early 18th Century carved and polychrome Italian angel figures. Now mounted in modern stands. Wonderful baroque carving and retain original paint
Category
Late 17th Century Italian Baroque Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Pair of Modernist Carved Abstract Figural Scuptures by Stella Popowski, C. 1950s
Located in Peabody, MA
A rare pair of carved mahogany abstract figures circa mid-1950s by the modernist jeweler and painter Stella Popowski (1931-2008). Popowski was active in both Los Angeles and San Fra...
Category
1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Mahogany
21st Century Marcantonio Chair Limited Edition Wood Inlay Black Flower Life afte
By MARCANTONIO
Located in Tezze sul Brenta, IT
Life After Life, Wooderkammer Limited Edition Collection
Design by Marcantonio for Scapin Collezioni
Life After Life è una sedia esclusiva, realizzata in edizione limitata di 8 pezz...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Hardwood
Wall-Mounted Weather Station in Art Nouveau Style Carved Oak By Grand Bazar
Located in Verviers, BE
Wall-Mounted Weather Station in Art Nouveau Style Carved Oak By Grand Bazar 1910s Liege Belgium
High quality mechanism with jeweled movement barometer and thermometer (in centigrade...
Category
1910s Belgian Art Nouveau Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Oak
18th Century Italian Hand-Carved Angel Wing on Honey Calcite Crystal
By Interi
Located in Dublin, Dalkey
18th century Italian hand-carved and painted angel wing with baroque pearls and mounted on honey calcite crystal.
The hand-carved angel wing was once part of a heavenly, angelic de...
Category
18th Century Italian Rococo Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Rock Crystal, Gold Leaf
Handcrafted Tweety Decorative Bird CS2 by Noom in Brown Ashwood
Located in Paris, FR
Bring a touch of whimsy to your home or office with the charming wooden bird from the Tweety series.
Designed by Kateryna Sokolova, this minimalist sculpture is an attractive accent...
Category
2010s Ukrainian Modern Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood, Ash, Oak
I Primera Sculpture by Joel Escalona
Located in Geneve, CH
I Primera sculpture by Joel Escalona.
Dimensions: D 45 x W 45 x H 190 cm.
Materials: oak wood, metal.
Also available in natural o...
Category
2010s Mexican Post-Modern Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Metal
18th Century Italian Carved Figure
Located in Los Angeles, CA
From a beautiful home in Santa Barbara. Not sure if paint is original, but it is definitely old. Finely carved with a lot of character.
Category
18th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood, Paint
Set of 6 Wooden Chess Pieces, Linden Wood, Handmade Portugal by Lusitanus Home
Located in Lisboa, PT
Set of 6 Ceramic Chess Pieces, Lusitanus Home Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Lusitanus Home.
A luxurious chess set designed for the most sophisticated and ambitious...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Gold Leaf
Japanese Tachibina (Imperial couple) doll set.
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Japanese Tachibina (Imperial couple), rare and exceptionally fine standing pair of figures for the Hina Matsuri. The emperor has his arms spread to the si...
Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Textile, Wood
19th Century Wood Carved Angel Sculpture, Spain, 1800
Located in Madrid, ES
Spanish carving sculpture of an angel in flight. The piece is totally handcrafted in carved and polychromed wood with gold leaf details.
Category
Early 1800s Spanish Romantic Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Mid19th Century Spanish Virgin Mary of the Sacred Heart Painted Wooden Sculpture
Located in Marbella, ES
Antique mid-19th century Spanish hand carved painted wooden sculpture of Virgin Mary of the Sacred Heart with glass eyes.
Category
19th Century Spanish Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Salvador Dali Contemporary Portlligat Wood Sculpture Sunbed
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Design by Salvador Dalí, 1903
manufactured by BD Barcelona
Solid Iroko wooden structure with polyamide wheels. Optional upholstered cushion with water repellent foam and material ...
Category
2010s Spanish Modern Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Mende Women's Helmet Mask
Located in Chicago, IL
This helmet mask created by the Mende people of Sierra Leone was made for the women of their tribe to wear while dancing. Commissioned by women for their ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
OUR LADY WITH THE BOY JESUS Indo-Portuguese sculpture, !7th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
OUR LADY WITH THE BOY JESUS
Indo-Portuguese sculpture, !7th Century
in polychrome, upholstered and gilded wood.
The figure is represented standing, holding the Baby Jesus with his l...
Category
17th Century Portuguese Baroque Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Bleached Walnut Foot Sculpture - Vintage Décor
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A light-brown, vintage Mid-Century Modern Italian foot sculpture made of hand crafted bleached Walnut, in good condition. The detailed décor pie...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Walnut
Sculptural 18th Century Multi-color Italian Angel Wing on Chalcopyrite & Kyanite
By Interi
Located in Dublin, Dalkey
Sculptural 18th century Italian hand-carved angel wing mounted on a chalcopyrite and adorned with kyanite. The hand-carved angel wing was once part of a heavenly, angelic depiction i...
Category
18th Century Italian Rococo Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Quartz, Rock Crystal
Large Hand Carved Singa Singa Tribal Carving from the Batak People, Sumatra
Located in Yonkers, NY
A large antique hand carved tribal sculpture from the Batak People, northern Sumatra, called a Singa Singa. Behold the striking allure of this large antique hand-carved Singa Singa, ...
Category
19th Century Indonesian Tribal Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Estate Walnut Museum Maquette / Model of 18th Century Vienna Carriage, C. 1950's
Located in New Orleans, LA
Estate American Intricately Carved Walnut Museum Maquette / Model of 18th Century Vienna Coronation Carriage. Designed and Constructed by the firm ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Walnut
Early 20th Century Three Hindu Deities of the Siam, Hand-Carved Exotic Hardwood
Located in Vigonza, Padua
1920-1930 three Hindu deities of the Siam, hand-carved exotic hardwood
n. 1 measures cm: H 150, W 35, D 25
n.2 measure cm: H 102, W 35, D 25.
Category
Early 20th Century Thai Arts and Crafts Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
FRENCH SCULPTOR 17TH CENTURY, Sculpture "Saint Mary Magdalene"
Located in Madrid, ES
FRENCH SCULPTOR 17TH CENTURY,
Sculpture "Saint Mary Magdalene"
Sculpture from the Louis XIV era in carved wood with a contemporary base
45 x 35 ...
Category
17th Century French Louis XIV Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Unity Bronze Sculpture
Located in Paris, FR
Sculpture unity bronze in solid patinated bronze on
black oak base (included). Lost wax bronze technique.
Base: L 12 x D 12 x H 18cm.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Hagenauer Art Deco silver-plated metal head
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Hagenauer Art Deco Silver Metal Head from the 1940s
This Art Deco head from Hagenauer is a piece that exudes elegance and sophistication. Its design captures the essence of the Art D...
Category
20th Century Austrian Art Deco Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Salvador Dali Contemporary Portlligat Wood Sculpture Sunbed
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Design by Salvador Dalí, 1903
Manufactured by BD Barcelona
Solid Iroko wooden structure with polyamide wheels. Optional upholstered cushion with water repellent foam and materia...
Category
2010s Spanish Modern Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Selection of Large Abstract Wood Sculptures
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of large abstract wood sculptures, circa 1960s. From left to right, the sculptures measure 25.5"H x 4.75"W x 4.75"D, 32.5"H x 8"W x 3"D, 31"H x 9"W x 8"D, and 24"H x 9"W x ...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble
Miniature Chinese Etagere Bookcase
Located in Chicago, IL
A full size bookcase with this level of workmanship and detail would be an incredible find, but this beautiful piece of furniture—at only eight inches tall—is perfectly constructed d...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Qing Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Hardwood
Vintage Hand Carved Wooden Plaque, Asian, Hardwood, Decorative, Tribal Scene
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a vintage hand carved wooden plaque. An Asian hardwood, naive decorative tribal scene, dating to the early 20th century.
Steeped in Eastern charm
Displays a desirable aged patina
Carved from hardwood with rich caramel hues
Scene depicting a tribal chief and two courtesans
Presented within a frieze panel
This is a charming vintage wooden plaque...
Category
Early 20th Century Asian Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Madonna and Child Statue, 17th Century
Located in New Orleans, LA
Carved from wood with lovely details. The pedestal dimensions are 21 W X 16 Deep and 11 H which makes the overall height about 60".
Category
17th Century Italian Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
French Mid-16th Century Body Of Christ
Located in Atlanta, GA
An outstanding French mid-16th century Body of Christ. Expertly carved from natural fruitwood. Stunning patina. The corpus has been attached to a base i...
Category
16th Century French Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Fruitwood
Fang Male Reliquary Figure (Bieri Style), Fang-Betsi Subgroup, Gabon
Located in Encino, CA
Fang Male Reliquary Figure (Bieri Style), Fang-Betsi Subgroup, Gabon, Circa 1950s
Carved from dense hardwood, this 19-inch-tall figure with dark, very beautiful patina, stands in a composed stance, holding a small box-like object close to the chest—a gesture associated with protection or ritual offering.
Height: 19 in. (48.3 cm) x Width: 5 in. (12.8 cm) x Depth: 5 in. (12.8 cm) without base.
Height: 21 in 1/4 (54 cm) x Width: 5 in 7/8. (15 cm) x Depth: 5 in 1/2 (14 cm) with base.
Provenance:
Multiple successive collections, France.
According to the previous owner, this sculpture was originally brought from Gabon to France during the colonial period and passed through several private collections thereafter. While we have no documentation to verify the original import date, we conservatively date the piece to the mid-20th century, corresponding to the period it remained in the collection of the prior owner.
This powerful male figure exemplifies the classical aesthetic and spiritual principles of the Fang Bieri tradition, specifically aligned with the Betsi subgroup. Standing in a rigid frontal stance, the figure clutches a small object close to its chest, a gesture commonly associated with ritual offering, protection, or ancestral invocation.
Carved from an exceptionally hard and heavy wood, the figure is marked by a rich, dark patina acquired through age and possible ritual handling. The anatomical emphasis—particularly the pronounced musculature, exaggerated genitalia, and the expressive weight of the limbs—evokes the Fang ideals of vitality, fertility, and ancestral potency. The oversized head, with its serene, meditative expression and stylized features, conveys a sense of introspective calm and spiritual authority. The schematic coiffure, carved in ridged vertical bands, further confirms its alignment with traditional depictions of respected male elders.
The figure belongs to the Bieri tradition, an ancestral cult that functioned as the cornerstone of Fang spiritual and social identity for centuries. As the Fang people migrated southward through Equatorial Africa—from present-day Cameroon into northern Gabon—they carried bark containers (called nsek bieri) holding the skulls of revered ancestors. These containers were typically surmounted by carved guardian figures like this one, which both protected the sacred...
Category
1950s Gabonese Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Mid Century Wooden Folk Art Cats - Set of 2
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Add a playful touch to your decor with this set of 2 Mid Century Wooden Folk Art Cats. These charming wooden sculptures exhibit rustic folk art charm and ...
Category
1970s American Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Jesus Salvator Mundi Sculpture, Flemish Religious Art, 17th Century
Located in Lisbon, PT
This masterfully carved 17th-century Flemish sculpture presents Jesus Christ as the “Salvator Mundi” — Savior of the World — a powerful icon of devotion and divine kingship.
Sculpte...
Category
Late 17th Century Belgian Renaissance Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood, Chestnut
French 19th Century Patinated Bronze Group "The Abduction of the Sabine Women"
By Pierre Loison 1
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine and Monumental French 19th century patinated bronze group Titled "The Abduction of the Sabine Women" after a model by Pierre Loison (French, 1816-1886), depicting a young scantily maiden being carried away on the arms of a Roman soldier, raised on circular ebonized wood and brass revolving pedestal stand. Signed at the base: P. Loison, circa: Paris, 1870-1880.
Overall height (Sculpture and Pedestal): 91 inches (231.2 cm).
Sculpture height: 54 3/4 inches (139.1 cm).
Sculpture width: 24 inches (61 cm).
Pedestal height: 36 inches (91.5 cm).
Pedestal width (Widest): 25 1/2 inches (64.8 cm).
Pierre Loison was a French sculptor of the 19th century born in the seaside town of Loir-et-Cher on July 5, 1816 and died in Cannes on February 3, 1886. In 1841, he joined the Pierre-Jean David d'Angers workshop where he became one of his favorite pupils. A year later he attended the School of Fine Arts in Paris. He exhibited for the first time at the Salon des artistes Français where in 1845 he was awarded third-class medal. In 1853 he was awarded First Place medal and at the Universal Exhibition of 1955 he received an honorable mention and another medal award in 1859.
On 12 July 1859 and by decree, he was made "Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur".
Pierre Loison is buried at The Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris.
Works by Pierre Loison
"Femme assise": Terre cuite (1843) au musée Gustave-Moreau à Paris
"Jeune fille portant un vase": Statue en marbre blanc, (h. 1,25 m) datée de 1857 et présentée au Salon de 1859 ; la statue fut d’abord placée au Palais-Royal (appartements du prince Napoléon) ; elle est actuellement au musée des Beaux-arts de Dole ; une réplique de taille réduite est au Musée des arts décoratifs de Paris.
"La Halle aux grains de Mer": Chaque façade de ce bâtiment, classé à l’inventaire supplémentaire des monuments historiques, comporte un fronton triangulaire et celui de la façade ouest représentant « L’Agriculture distribuant des couronnes aux enfants de Beauce et de Sologne » a été sculpté gracieusement par P. Loison, natif de la commune.
"La Justice assise": Allégorie de la Justice au fronton du Palais de justice de Blois (1847).
"Buste d’Achille Fould": Au musée du Château de Blois 8;
"Nausicaa": Statue en plâtre présentée au Salon de 1874, au musée des Beaux-arts de Vendôme.
"Statue de J-B. Pigalle sur la façade de l’hôtel de ville de Paris
"Sculptures extérieures du Palais du Louvre": Pierre Loison est l’auteur de neuf statues qui décorent les façades du Louvre "Figure" (1878) au deuxième étage du Pavillon Marsan10; "La Navigation" (1868) sur la balustrade du premier étage du Pavillon des États11; "Pandore" (1861) sur l’aile Est12; « Vénus » (1865) Aile Marsan13; "l’Histoire et la Vérité" (1857)14; "La Poésie et la Philosophie" (1857)15 deux oculi du Pavillon Mollien, coté cour Napoléon ; "Concordet" (1857) sur la balustarde du premier étage de la Rotonde de Beauvais, coté cour Napoléon.
"Statue de Sappho sur le rocher de Leucade : datée de 1859, (h. 1,85 m) sur la façade nord de la cour carrée du Palais du Louvre à Paris ; le modèle en plâtre, offert par Mme Loison, est au musée des Beaux-arts de Blois.
"Vierge à l’enfant": Statue en marbre en l’église Saint-Pierre de Dampierre-en-Yvelines.
"Jeune romain enlevant une Sabine": Groupe présenté au Salon de 1863 qui a été reproduit en bronze par la fonderie d’art Raingo frères.
"Sépulture de la famille Hautoy : Au cimetière du Père-Lachaise, deux bas-reliefs en marbre représentant l’un "La vie de Famille," l’autre 'Le chantier," datés de 1880.
"Demoiselle d’honneur de la Cour de François Ier": Statue en pierre exposée au Salon des artistes vivants en 1870 ; acquise par l’État à ce Salon, elle a été déposée en 1891, devant la mairie d’Aubin.
"La Paix distribuant des palmes aux génies des Beaux-arts": Fronton du Château de Compiègne (1866).
"Daphnis et Naïs": Groupe en marbre (1869) au musée de Picardie à Amiens.
"Jean-Baptiste Pigalle": Statue en pierre (1881) sur la façade principale, au rez-de-chaussée de l’Hôtel de ville de Paris.
"Gisant de Ferdinand-Philippe d'Orléans: dans la chapelle royale de Dreux en collaboration avec Ary Scheffer.
"La Grace": Statue en marbre (1875) dans le grand foyer de l’opéra Garnier.
The Abduction of the Sabine Women
The Abduction of the Sabine Women is an episode in the legendary history of Rome, traditionally dated to 750 BC, in which the first generation of Roman men acquired wives for themselves from the neighboring Sabine families. Recounted by Livy and Plutarch (Parallel Lives II, 15 and 19), it provided a subject for Renaissance and post-Renaissance works of art that combined a suitably inspiring example of the hardihood and courage of ancient Romans with the opportunity to depict multiple figures, including heroically semi-nude figures, in intensely passionate struggle. Comparable themes from Classical Antiquity are the Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs and the theme of Amazonomachy, the battle of Theseus with the Amazons.
The Abduction is supposed to have occurred in the early history of Rome, shortly after its founding by Romulus and his mostly male followers. Seeking wives in order to found families, the Romans negotiated unsuccessfully with the Sabines, who populated the area. Fearing the emergence of a rival society, the Sabines refused to allow their women to marry the Romans. Consequently, the Romans planned to abduct Sabine women, during a festival of Neptune Equester and proclaimed the festival among Rome's neighbours. According to Livy, many people from Rome's neighbours including folk from the Caeninenses, Crustumini, and Antemnates, and many of the Sabines attended. At the festival Romulus gave a Signal, at which the Romans grabbed the Sabine women and fought off the Sabine men. The indignant abductees were soon implored by Romulus to accept Roman husbands.
Livy says Romulus offered them free choice and promised civic and property rights to women. According to Livy, Romulus spoke to them each in person, declaring "that what was done was owing to the pride of their fathers, who had refused to grant the privilege of marriage to their neighbours; but notwithstanding, they should be joined in lawful wedlock, participate in all their possessions and civil privileges, and, than which nothing can be dearer to the human heart, in their common children." Responsibility of the men for meeting the needs of the children thus conceived was not included.
War with the Sabines and other tribes
Outraged at the occurrence, the King of the Caeninenses entered upon Roman territory with his army. Romulus and the Romans met the Caeninenses in battle, killed their king, and routed their army. Romulus later attacked Caenina and took it upon the first assault. Returning to Rome, he dedicated a temple to Jupiter Feretrius (according to Livy, the first temple dedicated in Rome) and offered the spoils of the enemy king as spolia opima. According to the Fasti Triumphales, Romulus celebrated a triumph over the Caeninenses on 1 March 752 BC.
At the same time, the army of the Antemnates invaded Roman territory. The Romans retaliated, and the Antemnates were defeated in battle and their town captured. According to the Fasti Triumphales, Romulus celebrated a second triumph in 752 BC over the Antemnates.
The Crustumini also started a war, but they too were defeated and their town captured.
Roman colonists subsequently were sent to Antemnae and Crustumerium by Romulus, and many citizens of those towns also migrated to Rome (particularly the families of the captured women).
The Sabines themselves finally declared war, led into battle by their king, Titus Tatius. Tatius almost succeeded in capturing Rome, thanks to the treason of Tarpeia, daughter of Spurius Tarpeius, governor of the citadel on the Capitoline Hill. She opened the city gates for the Sabines in return for "what they bore on their arms", thinking she would receive their golden bracelets. Instead, the Sabines crushed her to death with their shields, and her body was thrown from a rock known ever since by her name, the Tarpeian Rock.
The Romans attacked the Sabines, who now held the citadel. The Roman advance was led by Hostus Hostilius, the Sabine defence by Mettus Curtius. Hostus fell in battle, and the Roman line gave way, They retreated to the gate of the Palatium. Romulus rallied his men by promising to build a temple to Jupiter Stator on the site. He then led them back into battle. Mettus Curtius was unhorsed and fled on foot, and the Romans appeared to be winning.
At this point, however, the Sabine women intervened:
[They], from the outrage on whom the war originated, with hair dishevelled and garments rent, the timidity of their sex being overcome by such dreadful scenes, had the courage to throw themselves amid the flying weapons, and making a rush across, to part the incensed armies, and assuage their fury; imploring their fathers on the one side, their husbands on the other, "that as fathers-in-law and sons-in-law they would not contaminate each other with impious blood, nor stain their offspring with parricide, the one their grandchildren, the other their children. If you are dissatisfied with the affinity between you, if with our marriages, turn your resentment against us; we are the cause of war, we of wounds and of bloodshed to our husbands and parents. It were better that we perish than live widowed or fatherless without one or other of you."
The battle came to an end, and the Sabines agreed to unite in one nation with the Romans. Titus Tatius jointly ruled with Romulus until Tatius's death five years later.
The new Sabine residents of Rome settled on the Capitoline Hill, which they had captured in the battle.
Artistic representations:
The Rape of the Sabine Women by Johann Heinrich Schönfeld
The subject was popular during the Renaissance as symbolising the importance of marriage for the continuity of families and cultures. It was also an example of a battle subject in which the artist could demonstrate his skill in depicting female as well as male figures in extreme poses, with the added advantage of a sexual theme. It was depicted regularly on 15th-century Italian cassoni and later in larger paintings. A comparable opportunity from the New Testament was afforded by the theme of the Massacre of the Innocents.
Giambologna
The sculpture by Giambologna (1579–1583) that was reinterpreted as expressing this theme depicts three figures (a man lifting a woman into the air while a second man crouches) and was carved from a single block of marble. This sculpture is considered Giambologna's masterpiece. Originally intended as nothing more than a demonstration of the artist's ability to create a complex sculptural group, its subject matter, the legendary rape of the Sabines, had to be invented after Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, decreed that it be put on public display in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Piazza della Signoria, Florence. True to mannerist densely packed, intertwined figural compositions and ambitious overinclusive efforts, the statue renders a dynamic panoply of emotions, in poses that offer multiple viewpoints. When contrasted with the serene single-viewpoint pose of the nearby Michelangelo's David, finished nearly 80 years before, this statue is infused with the dynamics that lead towards Baroque, but the tight, uncomfortable, verticality— self-imposed by the author's virtuosic restriction to a composition that could be carved from a single block of marble— lacks the diagonal thrusts that Bernini would achieve forty years later with his Rape of Proserpina and Apollo and Daphne, both at the Galleria Borghese, Rome.
The proposed site for the sculpture, opposite Benvenuto Cellini's statue of Perseus, prompted suggestions that the group should illustrate a theme related to the former work, such as the rape of Andromeda by Phineus. The respective rapes of Proserpina and Helen were also mooted as possible themes. It was eventually decided that the sculpture was to be identified as one of the Sabine virgins.
The work is signed OPVS IOANNIS BOLONII FLANDRI MDLXXXII ("The work of Johannes of Boulogne of Flanders, 1582"). An early preparatory bronze featuring only two figures is in the Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte in Naples. Giambologna then revised the scheme, this time with a third figure, in two wax models now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The artist's full-scale gesso for the finished sculpture, executed in 1582, is on display at the Accademia Gallery in Florence.
Bronze reductions of the sculpture, produced in Giambologna's own studio and imitated by others, were a staple of connoisseurs' collections into the 19th century.
Nicolas Poussin
Nicolas Poussin produced two major versions of this subject, which enabled him to display to the full his unsurpassed antiquarian knowledge, together with his mastery of complicated relations of figures in dramatic encounter. One, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was executed in Rome, 1634–35. It depicts Romulus at the left giving the Signal for the abduction.
The second version, of 1636–37, now at the Louvre Museum, shows that, though some of the principal figures are similar, he had not exhausted the subject. The architectural setting is more developed.
Peter Paul Rubens
Peter Paul Rubens painted a version of the subject about 1635–40. It is at the National Gallery, London.
Jacques-Louis David
Jacques-Louis David painted the other end of the story, when the women intervene to reconcile the warring parties. The Sabine Women Enforcing Peace by Running Between the Combatants (also known as The Intervention of the Sabine Women ) was completed in 1799. It is in the Louvre Museum.
David had worked on it from 1796, when France was at war with other European nations after a period of civil conflict culminating in the Reign of Terror and the Thermidorian Reaction, during which David himself had been imprisoned as a supporter of Robespierre. After David’s estranged wife visited him in jail, he conceived the IDEA of telling the story, to honor his wife, with the theme being love prevailing over conflict. The painting was also seen as a plea for the people to reunite after the bloodshed of the revolution.
The painting depicts Romulus's wife Hersilia — the daughter of Titus Tatius, leader of the Sabines — rushing between her husband and her father and placing her babies between them. A vigorous Romulus prepares to strike a half-retreating Tatius with his spear, but hesitates. Other soldiers are already sheathing their swords.
The rocky outcrop in the background is the Tarpeian Rock.
John Leech
The English 19th century satirical painter John Leech included in his Comic History of Rome a depiction of the Rape of the Sabine Women, where the women are portrayed, with a deliberate anachronism, in Victorian costume...
Category
19th Century French Mannerist Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Wise Mirror Bikita, Modern Tribal Mask, black base, Brown solid Walnut wood
Located in Milan, Lombardy
A functional mirror for a dressing room, or wooden masks and sculpture for your living or your entrance. The drop-shaped mask Bikita is made of solid beech wood stained Canaletto walnut, with a brass element on the mirror. The base is an iron stand black lacquered, but upon request it is possible to have a metal wall hook. The project Wise Mirrors recalls the 3 Wise Men...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tribal Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Brass
San Antonio Abad, Spanish School of the 15th Century '1440-1501'
Located in Madrid, ES
San Antonio Abad, Castilian school of the 15th century (1440-1501)
Carving in polychrome wood, measures: 45 x 15 cm
good vintage conditions.
Category
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Gothic Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Saint Paul, Carved and Polychromed Wood. Spanish School, 16th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Spanish school of the sixteenth century. "Saint Paul". Carved and polychrome wood.
Devotional image of a round piece carved in wood, polychrome and gilded, representing the Apostle ...
Category
16th Century Spanish Renaissance Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Other
Burmese Life Size Standing Buddha Wood Sculpture
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a Burmese Buddha Sculpture. It depicts a gilt wood Mandalay Buddha standing over a lotus flower with very expressive eyes. His head is adorned w...
Category
Early 20th Century Burmese Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Hand Made Stylized Folk Art Wooden Mannequin
Located in Troy, MI
New, hand-crafted mannequin torso composed of spaced and layered unfinished wood. Created and acquired from an English artist.
Category
2010s English Folk Art Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Alexander Kosolapov "Mickey Lenin Malevich" Bronze and Wood Sculpture N° 2/3
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Alexander Kosolapov (Russian/American, b. 1943)
"Mickey Lenin Malevich"
Bronze sculpture and wood base ( inspired by Malevich Arkhitektons)
Provenance : Galerie Vallois
Expo sept/oct. 2010
Model Presented at the exhibition 'Alexander Kosolapov: Lenin and Coca-Cola' at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art. (29 Nov 2017?—?11 Feb 2018
Bronze with a golden brown patina, height 39 cm,H with “Malevich base” 132 cm
Signed "A. KOSOLAPOV" and numbered ? on the bronze base on the reverse, title provided by the artist
Condition: Bronze perfect, small dirt on the base
(certificate of authenticity provided)
N.B. Alexander Kosolapov's sculptures, paintings, and prints provoke harsh criticism, sometimes censorship, and often humor. His jokes are not partisan—they poke at both Russia and the United States. He appropriates imagery from Soviet history, pop culture, religion, and art history that he combines in often subversive ways. Taking a cue from Andy Warhol, Kosolapov delights in iconic symbols of American consumerist culture. For Kosolapov, these include Mickey Mouse, Marlboro, and Coca-Cola, images of which he links with political and religious figures central to Russian culture, including Stalin, Lenin, and Christ. He never forgets his place in the continuum of art history, often including some nod to artists who preceded him.
In Mickey-Lenin, the major players are obvious: Mickey Mouse and Vladimir Lenin, and the connotations come easily: East-West, Russia-United States, communism-capitalism, good-evil, and high-low. Kosolapov modeled the figure's body after statues of Lenin by the Soviet sculptor Nikolai Tomsky, and its pose is that of a classical Roman figure sculpted in the traditional medium of bronze. Kosolapov developed the idea for Mickey-Lenin shortly after immigrating to the United States in 1975. He found the discarded plastic head of a Mickey Mouse toy, took it home, and placed it atop a small sculpture of Lenin that he kept on his desk.
Kosolapov identifies with a movement known as Sots Art. Developed in Moscow in the 1970s by the art duo Komar and Melamid, Sots Art (an abbreviation of "socialist pop art") reacted against the conformist...
Category
Early 2000s American Modern Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Wall-Mounted Large Weather Station in Art Nouveau Style Carved Walnut Belgium
Located in Verviers, BE
Wall-mounted weather station in carved walnut made in Spa Belgium by Valentine Engel
High quality mechanism with Jeweled movement barometer and thermometer (in centigrade)
Unusual de...
Category
1910s Belgian Art Nouveau Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Walnut
Large Indonesian Hand Carved Singa Singa Tribal Carving from Sumatra
Located in Yonkers, NY
A large antique hand carved tribal 19th century sculpture from the Batak People, northern Sumatra, called a Singa Singa with painted accents. Attracting our eye with its charismatic presence, this large hand carved shield from the Indonesian island of Sumatra is one of the most iconic images of the Batak tradition. Called a Singa Singa, it was placed in the exterior corners of the traditional houses adorned with boat-shaped roofs, to disperse fear. Presenting a high forehead and angular traits, this Singa Singa sculpture is accented with faint traces of black for the eyes and a nicely distressed patina revealing its life spent outdoors. The back is flat with a small hole. Perfect to decorate any wall or perhaps to be mounted on a base depending on your needs, its riveting presence and delicate scrolling décor will make this Batak Singa...
Category
19th Century Indonesian Tribal Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Pair of Antique English Oak Figures
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A pair of antique English oak figures depicting a knight and a maiden.
These Georgian style sculptures depict handcarved details such as the maidens head dress, the knights armour a...
Category
18th Century English Jacobean Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Oak
William Westenhaven, WITCO Suspended Wooden Sword Wall Hanging, C. 1960
Located in Bainbridge, NY
William Westenhaver WITCO hand carved Wall Mount Wooden Sword. Featuring a large, handcrafted tropical style grained, stained solid wood Sword with Black ...
Category
1950s American American Craftsman Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Medium Totem Carbon by Maxence De Bagneux
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Totem Carbon by Maxence De Bagneux
Dimensions: D 33 x H 200 cm
Materials: Stoneware, burnt laminated wood.
Maxence de Bagneux has devoted his free time since childhood to his...
Category
2010s French Post-Modern Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stoneware, Wood
Antique Wooden Statue of Wenchang Wang, God of Literature and Culture
Located in Dallas, TX
This fascinating antique wooden statue depicts the Taoist God of Literature and Culture, Wenchang Wang. The statue was likely hand-carved in China in the 1700’s, but it is quite possible that it predates the 18th century. An iron stand has been added to the back more recently, although a portion of the back is excavated, indicating that the statue was once part of a larger installation.
Wenchang has been posed in a seated position with his hands clasped in front of his body, which is a common representation of the god in artwork. The hands have a shallow incised section, indicating that Wenchang once held an object. Based on other statues and drawings of Wenchang from this time, it was most likely a hu scepter that once accompanied the statue. Wenchang is clad in an ankle-length robe and a ridged headdress. Although the statue’s color is predominantly natural wood, very old traces of polychrome can be seen throughout the piece indicating that it was once vividly painted.
In China, those who study hard, and test well are often rewarded with high-ranking civil service jobs. The common belief is that Wenchang guides these scholars, leading many to seek his assistance. A statue of this size indicates it could have once been commissioned for a Chinese temple. Today, our wooden statue of Wenchang Wang would make a perfect piece of art in a study or library. It would work well with any contemporary interior, or with an interior displaying other very old Chinese artifacts...
Category
18th Century Chinese Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Iron
1960s Italian Carved Wood Plaque of Jesus
Located in Tarrytown, NY
1960s Carved wood Italian plaque of Jesus.
Category
1960s Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Vintage Jamaican Carved Walnut Sculpture by K. Tekroade
Located in London, GB
A beautiful vintage carved wood sculpture, this looks to be made from solid walnut or teak. It’s signed below by the artist K. Tekroade (As far as we can make out!), it also has a la...
Category
Mid-20th Century Jamaican Mid-Century Modern Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Large Hand-Carved Padauk Wood Hotei Buddha with Children and Bonsai Tree 1950's.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Feel the charm and positivity of this stunning hand-carved Hotei Buddha, crafted from vibrant Padauk wood and burl wood. This enchanting piece features th...
Category
1950s Cambodian Vintage Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Unique Bronze Figurative Profile Plaque by Thom O'connor
Located in San Diego, CA
Unique bronze figurative profile plaque by Thom O'Connor, circa 1966. The piece is in good vintage condition and measures 6"w x 2"d x 8.5"h. It is numbe...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
19th Century Polychrome Wooden Horse
Located in Brussels, Brussels
Elegant little carved wooden horse from the 19th century in polychrome wood
Very beautiful polychromy which has a lot of charm
Old child's toy with the front wheels which moves
...
Category
19th Century British Aesthetic Movement Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Fruitwood
Circa 1800 Carved Oak Sculptures of the Apostles, James, John, Peter, and Paul
Located in Dallas, TX
Hand-carved in oak, circa 1800, these sculptures depict arguably the most important apostles: James, John, Peter, and Paul. All of the figures are distinctly different, although they share some commonalities, such as they are all barefoot and clad in ankle length tunics on a rectangular base with canted corners. The set would make fantastic decorative art for a mantel, shelf, or sofa table.
The apostles as they appear in the main photo (from left to right):
St. James (20 ¼” H x 7 ½” W x 5 ½” D): sometimes referred to as “James the Great”, he is depicted with long hair and a full beard above a cloak pinned...
Category
Early 1800s European Antique Wood Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood, Oak