Mid-19th Century Sculptures

A monumental and masterfully sculpted 19th century copy of the famed Hellenistic "Herakles from Pergamon." This dramatic marble head, hewn from prized Greek Thassos marble, depicts...

This is a superb large  antique Grand Tour patinated bronze figure of "Dionysus, called Narcissus"  dating from the mid 19th Century. Dionysus is the ancient Greek God of wine, wher...

French Art Deco Bronze Sculpture – Roman Bull by Auguste Clésinger (1814–1883) Cast by Ferdinand Barbedienne Foundry – Reduction by Achille Collas France, 1858 This exquisite 19th-...

Brutalist sculpture in Marcello Fantoni's style, 50s. Made of copper metal cut with a torch and welded together the pieces that form it, creating a body of purely brutalist phantasma...

This handsome mid-Victorian fellow features much detail with bold lines and subtle shading. He prances on a grassy mound in a left facing position and is a rare large size. Most Vic...

A carving of a fearsome rearing lion, the position known as rampant, in silvery limewood. Fully carved to front and back. Depictions of lions rampant can be found on heraldic coats...

Gardener couple consisting of two large single figures. The female gardener wears rural rococo clothing: a dress with elaborate decorations and pinned-up apron, corset and borders, a...

Exceptional driftwood sculpture as found in nature ,beautifully aged and weathered surface ,very interesting holes and crevices to see and imagine, professionally mounted and secure ...

19th century Anglo Indian relief carving of a rat, and elephant riding on a snake or serpent and a tiger. With traces of gilding and remnants of a glass inlaid background. This is a ...

19th century Italian alabaster bust. Well sculpted antique Italian alabaster or marble bust of a classical female mounted on a plinth. This is a beautifully detailed antique alabaster bust...

19th Century Hand-Carved “Clock of the Universe” – Château de Vitrey-sur-Mance, France Price: £18,000 Dimensions: H 54” x W 38” x D 11” Weight: 80 KG Date: Circa 1860–1870 Origin: Fr...

Stunning and unique pair of matching horse sculptures. With a combined experience of almost 30 years in the antiques trade, we were thrilled to once again find beautifully hand-crafted and decorative antiques that we had never seen before. From the density and the weight we can see and feel that these highly decorative horse sculptures are made of a tropical hardwood. Like, for example, with antique mirror frames or church sculptures these horses too were first covered with a mixture of chalk and glue so that the paint would hold longer. And, as so often is the case with antiques, the colors that were used for painting these horses are so much more beautiful than anything you find in this day and age that they truly are an absolute joy to look at. From the colors, the wear, the materials and the techniques that were used to create these horses we can see that these are 19th century antiques. However and unfortunately we lack the knowledge to be able to tell you from which country these highly decorative and sizeable works of art originate. We just can't find matching style horse sculptures anywhere on the worldwide web. They could be Chinese or Nepalese, but they could also be Persian or Arabian. We just have not been able to find out. What we do know is that they are definitely antique, they are in beautiful condition (with some wear, consistent with their age), they are highly decorative, probably unique and they have a look and feel that will instantly change the atmosphere of the room they are in. Mind you, our sharp price for this wonderful pair of horse sculptures...

A pair of 19th Century French figural Sculpture mounted as table lamps, featuring Gilt spelter sculptures of women in classical attire, attributed to Sculptor Sculptor Etienne Henri ...

Pair of Staffordshire Pottery porcellaneous figures which feature a lion and a lioness with her cub, recumbent on a shaped base. Green ground. Dull gilt embellishment. Decorated 'in ...

Tibetan traveling shrines, known as Gau, were believed to offer protective powers and were used to hold and carry sacred objects during long journeys. Crafted over a century ago, a B...

This charming antique Staffordshire porcelain figurine, dating to around 1860, depicts a puff dog—most likely a poodle—crafted with exceptional attention to detail. The figurine feat...

A fine pair of mid nineteenth century pottery sparrow hawk sculptures, with finely painted feathers, the opposing hawks perched on naturalistic bases.

An antique neo-medieval old English encaustic tile depicting a knight on horseback, attributed to Minton & Co. This tile was commissioned in 1840-42 by L. N. Cottingham for Temple Ch...

A Remarkable 19th Century Sculptured Rosewood & Buckhorn Hatstand This remarkable and extremely rare hatstand / porte manteau is quite something. Exquisitely crafted from rosewood a...

Three figures are seated at a table where rests a jug of ale; all on a rectangular oval base where the title of the porcelain is stated in gold gilt script "Auld Lang Syne...

This exceptional matched pair of 19th-century Meissen porcelain elephants vividly capturing the historical moment of Alexander the Great’s conquest of India. Each elephant is beautif...

Rare Majolica Palissy Lizard signed Joseph Landais Circa 1860.

Fabulous Hugo Frantisek Salm bronze sculpture of a knight dated 1844 Salm. The last photo shows the identical bronze on display in a museum in Prague, Czech Republic. The quality and...

A wonderful third quarter 19th century Italian 'grand tour' ancient marbles specimen plaque in original silver-gilt frame.

A Neoclassical Italian Grand Tour Patinated Bronze Bust of Apollo Belvedere, Circa 1860 The bust is cast as a half length figure of Apollo, shown with the head turned to his right a...

This beautiful antique Staffordshire cat features white fur spotted with large black spots. Created circa 1860, our cat is decorated with han...

Make a bold statement with this large 19th-century French sculpture signed by Pierre-Jules Mêne (1810–1879), one of the most celebrated animalier sculptors of his era. Cast in spelte...

American gilt carved wood and gesso Eagle with extended wings perched on decorative acanthus floral motif, Early 19th century.  

A Memento Mori from Wunderkammer, depicting a painted skull, leaning on a book with a scroll reading: pray to God for the soul, in devotion to the Archangel Gabriel. The painting is ...

Alfred Barye was a French artist known for his meticulously detailed bronze sculptures of the Belle Époque featured in this listing. The standing figure with a dog and monkey at his ...

This elegant antique bronze sculpture depicts a finely modeled horse standing at rest and is signed Christophe Fratin, one of the most celebrated French animalier sculptors of the 19...

English brass figural knight and decorative bear shield door stop with step back rectangular base, Mid 19th Century. Knighted Guy Earle of Warwick.

American cast iron and painted horse head hitching post with a central fluted ringed column resting on a squared base, Mid 19th Century.

Psyche revived by Cupid’s kiss. After Canova. Beautifully carved in fine statuary marble. The winged young man who has just landed on a rock where a ...

Japanese Meiji Period Elaborate Bunraku Puppeta. 19th Century Meiji Period (1868-1912) Minor wear to textiles, fine antique condition, Original Bamboo display stand. DIMENSION Height: 33 inches Width: 18 inches Depth: 9 inches ABOUT Bunraku (puppet) depicting the warrior Minamoto Yoshistune his head carved of wood and covered in a fine white gofun with painted details, face of a handsome youth with trigger mechanism allowing for the eyebrows to raise and lower and the eyes to shift from side, is wearing military armor with signature dragon on his breastplate ,brocade patterning of his thick obi tie, sumptuous silk brocade kimono and brocade hakama trousers with the Minamoto Clan pattern, silk tabi socks...

19th C. Santos Hand made statue Saint Joseph and child Antiques Los Angeles CA LA . Mid 19th Century Rare Hand made terracotta Clay “ Santos “ saint Joseph with Child baby Jesus . ...

Gerhard Henning (Danish, 1880-1967) Dark patinated bronze sculpture, "Seated Girl with Outstretched Legs" ("Siddende pige med strakte ben"), 1938-1942 Signed: G. Henning No. I This sculpture is the first casting (No. I) of a work produced in only six editions by the Royal Court Bronze Founder, Lauritz...

Hand-carved wooden sculpture representing a traditional guardian or deity figure, often referred to as the "Lady of Popa," originating from Vietnam or Southeast Asia. This striking p...

Italian 19th century bronze bust of Augustus Ceasar, finely detailed and well patinated, standing on turned ebonized wood and marble socle plinth base.

A collection of three 'Grand Tour' English / Italian polychrome marble plaques or paperweights, one rectangular; two of cartouche form, the 'Derbyshire' or 'Belgian Black' marble slabs inset with native English stones 'Blue John' (Derbyshire Spar), 'Duke's Red', 'Bird's-Eye', and foreign Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, and Jasper in 'ovoid' and 'kidney' form inlays. Measurements : Rectangular plaque: 8" by 4.63" by .88" Cartouche plaque...

Bronze grouping of sheep with a nuanced brown patination. Moigniez' intricate work on the surface of the piece created a true-to-life rendering of the sheep's fleece. The group is se...

This finely executed bust of a Naiad is attributed to the neoclassical sculptor John Gibson (1790 – 1866). A Naiad was a type of mythological water nymph and is depicted here with her head bowed and cocked slightly to the side, displaying her strong neo-Hellenistic profile. In her hair, the nymph wears a headdress that is comprised of long and slender reed leaves, which not only identifies her iconographically as a water spirit, but draws a close comparison with those worn by the female figures in John Gibson’s Hylas Surprised by the Naiades (1827 - 1837) (fig.1). The downwards and off-centre orientation of our Naiad bust mirrors that of the taller figure on the left of the group, who rests her cheek on the head young Hylas (fig.2) Her facial physiognomy follows the neo-Hellenistic archetype established by Gibson and can be closely compared with his Tinted Venus – one of the most important statues of the Victorian era (1851–56, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool) (fig.3). While Gibson’s Tinted Venus is known best for its controversial polychrome ‘tinting’, the essential structure of the face—broad brow, finely drawn nose, wide (and slightly drooping) almond-shaped eyes - provided a template that Gibson returned to repeatedly in his depiction of mythological maidens. Critics of the time noted the consistency of his female types, with some seeing their idealised severity as an antidote to the sentimentality of much mid-Victorian sculpture (fig.4 – 6). The facial physiognomy is also very similar to a drawing by Gibson at the Royal Academy that depicts Hero weeping over the dead body of Leander (fig.7). The socle style of the present work also finds comparisons with Gibsons busts of Cupid and Aurora. This was of course somewhat standardised, but it is interesting to note the extent of their similarity with our bust. John Gibson RA is considered by many to be the greatest British sculptor of the nineteenth century working in the Neoclassical style. It is hard to overestimate the impact Rome had on the life and art of the artist. He first arrived in the city around 1817, when he was just twenty-six, and remained a resident there until his death. Not only did Rome’s ancient sculptural treasures and architectural fragments offer Gibson a lifetime of inspiration, but the Grand Tourists who poured into Rome in the first half of the nineteenth century provided him with many commercial opportunities. These rich or aristocratic travellers sought out mythological sculptures for their grand, palatial residences. However, since the papal decrees of Doria Pamphilj and Pacca of 1803 banned the export of ancient Greek and Roman works of art from Rome, there was a large demand for modern idealised sculpture in the Neoclassical style (Frasca-Rath 2016, p. 10). During his early days in the city he had the great fortune to train under both Antonio Canova and Bertel Thorvaldsen (Roscoe and Hardy 2009, p. 522). He referred continuously to Canova as his “master”, particularly in his memoirs, which he dictated to Margarete Sandbach at the beginning of the 1850s; these were subsequently published by Lady Eastlake in 1870. Moreover, he claimed to be Canova’s last pupil in a letter to Antonio Gacini, Secretary of the Royal Academy in Milan in 1861, written to thank the Academy for accepting him as an Honorary Member: “The first instruction which I received in my art was from an Italian. It was Canova whose pupil I became in the year 1817 and studied under him for five years when he died. I was his last pupil” (Royal Academy Archive GI/1376). By 1821, Gibson had established his own studio in the via Fontanella, off the via Babuino. From here he aimed to produce sculpture of “the sublime and the purest beauty”, believing that the sculptor’s role was to select and combine the most beautiful parts of nature to create a harmonious whole, which would delight and elevate the viewer. By the mid nineteenth century he was one of the few remaining exponents of the so-called ‘pure’ and ‘neo Hellenistic’ style of sculpture, resolutely upholding the Neoclassical ideals established by Wincklemann, in a period when naturalism and modern subjects preoccupied the majority of artists in Europe (Turner, ed., 1996, p. 598). Gibson was convinced of the importance of disseminating artistic ideas through the younger generations, an ideal no doubt impressed upon him by Canova, and established ‘the British Academy of Arts in Rome’. His students included William Theed (1804–1891), Benjamin Spence (1822–1866), Harriet Hosmer...

This large limestone garden statue faithfully interprets an original marble statue from 1802 depicting the goddess Venus stepping out of a bath. Our statue was hand-carved circa 1860...

A Fine Pair of Neoclassical Grand Tour Period Hand Carved Verde Antico Marble Figures of Recumbent Lions, After a Model by Antonio Canova (1757–1822) Each lion is carved in verde an...

Striking impressive large 19th century Running Horse weathervane made into a freestanding sculpture. The horse has copper body, zinc head and beautifully detailed teeth, ears and ey...

Grand and imposing, these monumental lion sculptures offer protection to all those who stand before them. Dated to the mid-19th century, the ...

Pair of Superb Antique Chinese Hsien Feng - Xianfeng - Period Polychrome Enamel Sandstone Foo Dogs or Dragons. Wonderful polychrome colors and useful size. Attributed to the Hsein F...

A rare Edo period bronze vase with Mimikuchi flying handles, with quartered pear shaped body with spiral to the front and back, supported on a flared...

19th century silvered bronze sculpture, Bear with an umbrella, signed Fratin. This exquisite silvered bronze sculpture by Christophe Fratin is a perfect representation of 19th-centur...

This superb mid 19th century very large classical Roman Medici lion is beautifully detailed and cast in solid plaster, which is hand finished with a bronze-like patina. The lion is ...

Top quality made and highly decorative, bronze eagle claw desk piece. With the holiday season on our doorstep we will be offering a number of season relat...

Mid-19th century carved and painted wooden Tang dynasty horse This is a superb piece of Chinese Folk Art, superbly carved in wood, in the classic statue...

A pair of oval-shaped natural agates from a Wunderkammer in a fruitwood frame decorated with a patinated copper leaf sunburst, mounted on a carved and gilded fruitwood base. On the b...

A rare finely cast Grand Tour patinated bronze statue of the Roman God Mercury ( Hermes in Greek Mythology) dressed in flowing classical robes standing with his right foot raised ...

Pair 19th Century Of French Gilt Bronze Female Figures Science & Art Decorative . Early to Mid-19th Century Sculptures of Women in Science / Math and the Art fields raised on sq...

Painted English Victorian cast iron lion doorstop with hollow back. The lion features a full mane and curled tail and rests on a solid rectangular base. England, circa 1850-1900.

This is a truly magnificent antique Victorian patinated bronze sculpture of the famous Greek God Apollo, modelled upon a shaped circular socle, inscribed monogram 'NF' and numbered 2...

Pair of exquisite monumental centerpieces with bronze work in the the Manner of Pierre-Philippe Thormire, 1751-1843. The pair in the form of reticulated gilt grape vine...

This is a fine antique pair of French Grand Tour patinated-bronze sculptures of the Marly Horses, Circa 1850 in date and signed to one base. The original Marly Horses were commissi...

Beautifully crafted, large articulated artist’s mannequin made from pine wood, dating from the early 19th century. It features jointed limbs and remains in its original condition, wi...