18th Century and Earlier Figurative Sculptures

Exceptionally rare early figure of Bacchus in black basalt. The mixed-case mark places this figure between 1780 and 1785. He is portrayed in typical style, his head garlanded with grapes and with a wine cup to his lips. Bacchus, also known as Dionysus in Greek mythology, is the enigmatic god of wine, fertility, and ritual madness. He symbolizes freedom, ecstasy, and the blurring of societal norms through his rituals and festivities. Bacchus is often depicted in myths as a deity who challenges the status quo, promoting an atmosphere where conventional rules do not apply, and his followers are liberated from their everyday constraints. Born from Zeus and the mortal Semele, Bacchus is unique among gods, bridging the divide between the divine and the human. His followers included the wild and ecstatic maenads, female devotees who often reached states of divine frenzy, and the satyrs, mischievous half-man, half-goat beings. The worship of Bacchus was marked by theatrical processions, dances, and plays, reflecting his patronage of the theater and the dramatic arts. Bacchus’s mythology...

We present you these two icons Virgin Mary and Saint John, pair of linden wood sculptures. Bologna 15th century. The Caloust Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal museum has an i...

France / 1550 / statue Saint Eligius / Antique / reliques Religious statue of Saint Eligius from the 16th century in full wood found in France. This very rare find has a beautiful ...

Unique period piece. Extremely rare 16th century Italian hand carved wooden lion. Most likely once part of a piece of furniture. Beautifully ca...

A late 17th-century figure in polychromed chestnut wood with excellent carving and gilding, dressed in a flowing veil and cashew hair down the shoulders. The cheekbones and nose are ...

Marble Roman relief representing a Christogram Roman relief - 4th century 25 x 22 x 8 cm Provenance : Collection of the Château de B. À Nevers by Georges C.S., scholar born in 1833 and deceased in 1909 The entire castle and its collections were acquired in 1938 by the current owners of the estate A christogram is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abreviation for the name of Jesus Christ. This rare fragment combines chi (X) and rho (P), the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek and it is one of the oldest and most popular early christian symbol. The monogram of Christ, or chrismon, is also a powerful symbol of imperial victory: it appeared to Emperor Constantine the Great before his battle against Maxentius in ad 312, promising victory in the name of Christ. In Plato's Timaeus, it is explained that the two bands which form the "world soul" (anima mundi...

18th Century Meissen Porcelain, Pair of Turkish figures holding sweetmeat / table salt bowl. These sweetmeat figures were made around 1745, the original models being done by J F Eber...

The Adoration of the Magi. Panel carved in high relief. Flanders, 17th century. Measures: 53 x 32,5 cm.

Marble lion white marble France, probably Périgord, 17th century Small marble lion wearing a coat of arms pendant with the engraved date, ...

Large base of molded hexagonal pilaster in burgundy stone carved with vines, grapes and rosettes in high relief. Burgundy, 15th century 28 x 63 x 30 cm Provenance : collection De...

Cercle of Juan Martinez Montañés (1568-1649) Infant St John the Baptist Spanish, 17th century H 74 cm Saint John the Baptist is here represented naked, sitting on a rock, with...

Boxwood micro carving Deposition Central Europe, first half of the 18th century It measures: the sculpture 7.40 x 5.31 x 0.6 in (18.8 x 13.5 x 1.6 cm); w...

This beautiful sculpture realized in China in the 18th century depicts Guanyin, a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. The female form holds a pot in her hands. She appears draped...

18th century Italian hand-carved gold leaf angel with fossil agate coral wings and mounted aragonite. The hand-carved angel was once part of a decorative, angelic depiction in a ...

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...

Attributed to Antonio Rossellino (settignano, 1427 - Firenze, 1479) Bust of a young boy 1470-1475 Polychrome stucco 35 x 31 x 15,5 cm - Published on the exhibition catalogue : A. D...

A rare example of Memento Mori from Wunderkammer depicting a skull caged in a forged iron structure, with a chain for hanging. The sculpture is made of scagliola plaster with a high ...

These two hand-carved wood Italian angel wings are remarkable artifacts, exemplifying the grandeur and ornate beauty of the Baroque period. They are in good original condition with s...

This is a penis-shaped stone figurine excavated in eastern Japan. Japan had a stone age called the Jomon period, and these items were created after the middle of that period. The Jom...

Jesus Christ Crucified Portuguese Sculpture 18th Century Crucified figure with the head turned to the right side sculture in polychrome wood. Cross in rosewood wood carved with gol...

Great Italian sculpture from the second half of the 18th century. Finely carved wooden work depicting a religious subject, a saint, identifiable with the figure of Saint Joseph, of g...

Renaissance Marble Relief Emilia Romagna, Faenza ? 1470-80 H 30,2 x L 33 x P 3,5 cm The carved marble relief depicts the Virgin accompanied by a winged cherub standing behind her. ...

A pair of Meissen bouquetiere figures Circa 1765, both with 'Christie's East' dealer stamps. Modelled by J.J. Kändler holding oval two-handled baskets, the tops pierced for flowers, ...

Large carved stone rosette France, 18th century Diameter: 29.5 cm This carved rosette likely adorned a ceiling. This rounded vault key exhibits a delicately crafted decor, with deep...

XVII secolo San Rocco Legno policormo, cm alt. 127 L'oggetto è in buono stato di conservazione

Wonderful Hand carved winged angelhead with its original gilding. France, circa 1750 Weathered small losses. Treated against wood worm Measurement here below inclusive the wooden bas...

Unique period piece. Extremely rare 16th century Italian hand carved lion. Most likely once part of a piece of furniture. Beautifully carved in a simple folk art way with traces of i...

This is a sublimely made porcelain figure of the female "Ranelagh Dancer", made by Derby between 1759 and 1769, which was the Rococo era. The figure would originally have had a male ...

Citrine crystals in matrix mounted on a gilded 18th century Italian base. The citrine crystal specimen is adorned with baroque pearls and it sits in a bed of crushed crystals and coo...

Questa eccezionale coppia di sculture in stucco antico, risalente al XVIII secolo e originaria della Toscana, cattura l'essenza e la maestosità delle divinità romane Cerere e Giove. ...

Romanesque sculpture is bold, dignified and gets our attention. This Neo-classic form is all that and more. This is a large female figure with a gentle S curve. Her tunic has beautif...

This elegant antique putti figure was carved in Italy, circa 1770. Standing on an oval base, the detailed statue features a young boy with wings his head turned to the side. The ador...

Important pair of 18th century lacquered wood angel heads, from Northern Italy. The angel heads with wings are carved from a single piece of wood and decorated in polychrome with mec...

This Wood Sculpture of an Angel would likely is a masterpiece of religious art, reflecting the exuberance and drama characteristic of the Baroque period. Baroque art often sought to ...

XVII Century Adoration of the Magi Polychrome terracotta, 24 x 18 cm The present relief, made of terracotta that retains the original polychromy, depicts the famous episode in the...

Beautiful weathered giltwood angelhead. France, circa 1700-1750 Weathered, several losses on the gilding and old repairs which suits its high age. Measurement here below inclusive th...

A Fine Flemish Carved Figure of a Man Attributed to Henrick Douverman (c. 1480 - 1543) (sometimes known as Heinrich Douwermann) Wood (oak) Flemish Early 16th Century SIZE: 28cm high...

Beautiful Baroque angel-wing. Rare and very decorative item placed on a wooden base, Italy, circa 1750. Weathered. Measurement is inclusive the wooden base. H:32,5cm W:22cm D:5,5cm

Important bas-relief in carved wood with traces of gilt, in an architectural frame with two angels in the corners, representing Saint Rocco. Considered, among other things, the Patro...

An Unusual and Rare English ‘Memento Mori’ Carved Shrine with Two Human Skulls to the underside, a carved ‘Dragonfly’ Marble 16th / 17th Century England Size: 36cm high, 28cm w...

Stunning period piece. Baroque angel with candleholder. Beautiful weathered old gilding France, circa 1750. Weathered, old repairs and losses. H:41cm W:29cm D:11cm

Beautiful Baroque angel-wing. Rare and very decorative item placed on a wooden base, Italy, circa 1750. Weathered. Measurement is inclusive the wooden base. H:27,5cm W:23cm D:5,5cm

An 18th century Italian carved wood and gilded, sitting robed saint with glass eyes. One hand missing otherwise and very good condition, no shrinking cracks or losses to lacquer. Can...

Splendid sculpture in white Carrara marble depicting a young Hercules holding the world. Originally, the work was conceived to be used as a caryatid at the beginning of a sumptuous m...

Beautiful weathered oak panel depicting a baroque angel on an acanthus curl. Weathered and small losses, most likely it was once part of a larger panel. France circa 1750. treated ag...

A Pair of Chinese famille verte laughing twins 'HeHe Erxian' biscuit group, Kangxi (1662-1722), the two boys with jovial expressions and seated upon an openwork rock-base studded wit...

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...

Christ in Boxwood, France, late 16th-early 17th century Beautiful corpse of Christ with missing arms. He must have been on the Cross, arms in a horizontal position. Great expressiv...

Wonderful small Hand carved winged angelhead with its original gilding. Italy, circa 1750 Weathered. Measurement here below inclusive the wooden base. H:14cm W:11,5cm D:7cm

Splendid bronze sculptural group depicting the rape of the Sabine women, made with the ancient lost wax technique. The drama of the scene is rendered with great mastery: in the cente...

A Captive Soldier Gilt Bronze, Lost Wax Italie (Rome), 17th century H 17 x Dia 10 cm H 6 2/3 x Dia 4 inch The 17th century witnessed a flourishing of artistic expression across Eur...

XVII secolo Rilievi raffiguranti papa Innocenzo XI e Pio V (2) Marmo, cm diametro 29 I due manufatti in esame, una rara coppia di tondi in marmo riferibili al XVII secolo, rappre...

An Italian 18th century sculpture of St. Peter of Verona. A magnificent sculpture of St Peter martyr of Verona, created by a member of the Lombard art school in Verona Italy, in the...

This is a charming Derby figure of a shepherdess with a garlanded lamb, made in or shortly after 1760. The figure is one half of a set called the "Garland...

Gorgeous hand-carved wooden lion with its original weathered gilding. France circa 1750 Weathered, small losses and old repair . Measurements include the wooden base. H:37,5cm W:28...

Large Cast and Chiseled Bronze Plaque Saint Sebastian after the model by Guido Reni (Capitoline Museum) Rome, 17th century Large rectangular bronze plaque depicting the martyrdom of...

18th Century Monumental Marble Sculpture Representing Neptune

Beautiful and unique handcarved white marble winged double angel head ornament. Italy, circa 1750. Weathered . Measurement includes the wooden base. H:24cm W:23cm D:10cm