Two Monumental Nymphes in Plaster, France, circa 1940

Beautiful old plaster statue, in the neoclassical spirit, representing young Bacchus. France, National Museums molding workshop, circa 1930.

Two claustras in stamped and patinated copper on a wooden core. Worked and visible on both sides. They were created to definit the dining aera of the Aquarius liner, built in 1972...

Beautiful and rare collection of plaster casts, models from a school of fine arts, late nineteenth century, France. Doric capital with inscri...

Beautiful and rare collection of plaster casts, models from a school of fine arts, late 19th century, France.

Ionic capital model with inscr...

Wall decoration elements (claustra), in white lacquered fiberglass, France, circa 1960. Four pieces available.

Beautiful and rare collection of plaster casts, models from a school of fine arts, late nineteenth century, France. Doric column base with inscriptions and stamp. Diameter of col...

Two antiques hand-carved (plaster) sculptures.

A beautiful plaster architectural from the late 1800s, depicting a female mascaron surmounting a highly scrolled coat of arms shield. The young wom...

Found in a chateau in Loriol du Comtat, in the Provence region of France, this large-scale plaster sculpture is signed and dated by the artist, making it a rare find. Originally part of a boiserie containing a fireplace, the sculpture decorated the main hall of the chateau. The artist, Marius Sain, created the piece for the owners of the chateau in 1914. The lovely depiction of a shepherdess and her flock is a fitting subject for an area of France in which shepherding is such an important part of the culture. The preserved heritage of transhumance in Provence goes back at least 800 years, as evidenced by collections of ancient songs, stories, and art. Life-size in scale, the lovely sculpture features a mix of high-, mid-, and low-relief embellishments. A hooded shepherdess tends to her flock of sheep with a crook in hand. A dog sits calmly at her feet as the flock gathers in front of them. Both the shepherdess and the dog are in high relief, as is the lead sheep. The lamb seen suckling from the front sheep was crafted in mid relief, as is the visible head on the far right of the sculpture. There are a few sheep behind them in low relief. Large trees can be seen on either side of the group, while off in the background (faintly visible) are a castle with four fastigiate Mediterranean cypress trees (known as Stricta) and a spired church. The attention to detail is magnificent, with textured surfaces including the animals’ fur and the uneven ground. A previous owner (recently) had an iron and limestone stand created for displaying purposes. The cream-colored limestone has been cut into three pieces and is inset into the six-legged iron frame. Block print on the plaster can be seen just above the edge of the stand. The letters read Le Soir, which is French for “The Night”. The right side of the sculpture has been signed “M Sain 1914”. Marius Joseph Sain was born in 1877 in Avignon, France. In 1902, Sain moved to Paris to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Through introductions by his older brother and painter, Paul...

Mid-20th Century plaster crouching panther that was likely a table base, now a very cool piece of sculpture. The weathered surface and intense gaze give this a wonderful presence. Yo...

A plaster study of a corinthian column. Marked in pencil “American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, PA.” Rough unsealed plaster patina.

A plaster study of an ionic column. Marked in pencil “American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, PA.” Rough unsealed plaster patina.