Death Mask

A Pennsylvania painted chalkware cat, circa second half 19th century. These pieces usually painted by German-American folk artisans from Lancaster to Philadelphia were made to be a more accessible household ornament than expensive Staffordshire ceramics. They are more rare today due to their fragile gypsum composition. In the later part of the 19th century and into the 20th century these figures became popular as carnival prizes...

Rosario Russell Fiore (American, 1908-1994) A plaster maquette of Atlanta author Margaret Mitchell by Rosario Russell Fiore, 1982. In five pieces. 12 inches wide by 11 inches deep by 23 inches tall Rosario R. Fiore was a prominent American sculptor and member of the National Sculpture Society. Fiore studied at the Mechanics Institute, the National Academy of Design, and the Beaux Arts Academy. Protege of Robert Aitken, he assisted with the creation of the figures in the pediment of the Supreme Court Building, the front of the Archives, and in the Samuel Gompers Memorial. Other notable achievements include serving as a sculptor for the National Park Service and WPA, the Smithsonian, the Department of the Interior, receiving awards for service provided to the US Army, and undertaking commissions for the White House during the Truman and Kennedy administrations. Born in New York, he was active there, in Washington and in Jekyll Island...