Pair of Highly Detailed Cast Antique Military Figures with Gilt Accents

Standing over 2 feet tall, these high quality bronze statues depict soldiers during the French revolutionary wars. They are labeled and signed Dumaige (French sculptor, Etienne-Henry Dumaige 1830-1888). The statues show incredible detail, excellent proportion, and retain their original, rich, brown patina, which is still in remarkable condition. Each solider has a raised brass placard on the front of the 1 ½” thick square bases: one reads Avant le combat volontaire de 1792 par Dumaige, H.C, while the other is titled “Apres le combat grenadier de 1792 par Dumaige, H.C.”. The designation “H.C.” stands for Hors concours (“standout”), which is used for artwork that is excluded from competition because it has already claimed top honors elsewhere. Avant, meaning “before” shows our soldier as a volunteer drummer. Drums were used on the battlefield not only to provide cadence for the soldiers, but also to issue orders based on the percussion pattern. Here, our soldier’s drum is attached to a harness that runs across his right shoulder. Both hands are gripping the frame of the drum, while there is a drumstick in his left hand. There is a satchel on the soldier’s back as he stands on grass with a small wood fence behind him. Our soldier has a mustache with long braided hair in the back. He is wearing a fluted bicorne with a pomme tuft and has earrings in both ears. His jacket is knee-length in the back, with tasseled epaulets on the shoulders. Apres, meaning “after”, depicts the man as a grenadier, enjoying tobacco after a conflict. The grenadier...

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...

A good quality pair of 19th century French bronze statues of soldiers in their armour. 48028 BCELZE

Two bronze proofs with golden patina by Auguste Louis Lalouette (1826-1883), depicting "Le Défi" on a marble base. The duelists, dressed in 16th-century fashion, are dressed with gre...