Gothic Sculptures

Very rare, 19th century statuette of Victor Hugo's famous novel character. If you are a collector of rare novel and/or famous movie characters then this 19th century sculpture of Quasimodo, better known as the Hunchback of Notre Dame...

Hand carved wood antique statue of Mother Mary wearing a Gothic crown. This original and all hand carved sculpture of the mother of all mothers is anothe...

A small antique bust of Jesus Christ. Made of gilded spelter (zinc alloy). On a black marble plinth. No signature. Minor wear to the gilt patina. Dimensions: 14 (h) x 6 x 6 cm Free...

Large heavy 18th century or earlier carved oak corbel. The corbel depicts a large male open-eyed smiling face with broad features. Finly carved details with wonderful old patina.

Gothic canopy France, 15th century Alabaster, some traces of polychromy 33 x 23 x 20 cm Provenance: - Private collection Genève, Switzerland ...

Saint Ambrosius Italian sculpture 17th century in painted and gilded wood. The figure is represented standing up blessing with the hand. Faults and defects. Dimensions. Heigh...

Antique 18th century fruitwood carved Memento Mori Skull. The skull of petrified display powerfully carved in the form of a human skull consisting of the cranium, upper and lower jaws, the cadaverous face with deliberate missing tooth in brown wash patination throughout. Stood upon a small marble base with the skull attaching via a dowel fitting. The Skull probably from German origin. Notes  From approximately the sixteenth century, skulls were commonly used to remember death as they symbolise the transience of human life. Memento Mori literal Latin translation means remember that you [have to] die. The concept has its roots in the philosophers of classical antiquity, and appeared in funeral art and architecture of the medieval period. Memento Mori jewellery...

Antique large crucifix with stunning quality, hand carved details and an amazing patina. This remarkable and large sculpture of a suffering Chr...

Crafted in France circa 1760 and resting in a carved oak niche, the figure depicts the prophet Moses, the most important prophet in Judaism and Christianity. Moses is best known from the story in the biblical Book of Exodus and Quran as the lawgiver who met God face-to-face on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments after leading his people, the Hebrews, out of bondage in Egypt and to the "promised land" of Canaan. He is represented with horns on top of his head. The horns came about because of an ambiguity of the Latin version of Exodus 34, 30. After being addressed by God on top of Mount Sinai and given the Tablets of the Law containing the Ten Commandments, Moses descended to his people in the desert. His face was seen to shine with a divine light. (The first Moses with horns was commissioned in 1505 by Pope Julius II for his tomb; it was based on a description in chapter 34 of Exodus in the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible used at that time). The religious and biblical item...

Mid 17th century Northern European carved figure of a saint. This striking statue depicts a saint who is dressed in robes, whilst holding his hand over his heart. This figure is freestanding and is stood within a leaning position which makes him stand out. It has been beautifully carved from oak and has remnants of its original paintwork. Likely to have stood within a church for many years and would have been removed due to renovation reasons. This historical figure...

Provenance : In the same private collection for several generations, Burgundy. The canonical Gospels describe briefly the episode of the Nativity. It comprises three parts : • The Preludes : the Journey to Bethlehem, the Census • The Nativity • The Announce to the Shepherds and the Adoration of the Magi Only the Gospel according to Matthew (2, 1-12) speaks about the Adoration of the Magi. Staying vague about their number it does say they brought the newborn gold, incense and myrrh. The apocryphals, the fathers of the Church and many other authors have filled in the gaps of the evangelic tale. The sobriety and symbolic of the story have been a huge inspiration to artists. Although one of the oldest depictions of the Adoration of the Magi dates from the 2nd century the theme became very popular in Christian art during the late 14th century. One of the reasons explaining this success is that it celebrates both the Virgin and Christ at the same time. This important walnut panel is carved in a strong relief and depicts the different steps of the story of Jesus’ birth. On the left, the donkey and ox that have accompanied Mary and Joseph from Bethlehem are depicted behind a trough. On the thatch roof appears the star that would guide the magi to the place of birth of Jesus. Mary is wearing a veil and is seating on a bed. She holds her baby at arm’s length to present him to the magi. Saint Joseph is by her side. The old man is holding a cane in his left hand while from the right hand he seems to uncover himself to greet the visitors. A woman assists to the scene. In front of the holy family the three magi stand behind one another to pay their homage to the newborn. The first magi has a pointed beard. He is already kneeling out of deference and has placed his crown to his feet. He gives the baby a hanap filled with gold coins. This is Melchior as the legend describes him with white hair and a long beard. Caspar, the second magi bears a cup of incense. He is looking at the third magi and with his right hand he points to the star that has guided them there. He has a short beard and wears crakow shoes, breeches and a wide sleeved doublet. Finally Balthazar, the elegant last magi proceeds proudly towards the holy family with his one hand on the saber’s hilt and the other holding a cup. He brings the divine child the myrrh. He probably just dismounted as the horse can be seen behind him. The scene is set in a very detailed and narrative decor. In the right part of the panel the shepherd receive the announce of Jesus’ birth. An angel comes down from heaven with a scroll bearing the good news in his hands. The herding dog sleeps peacefully while sheeps graze. At the top of the cliff we notice the gilded sheeps enclosure. The panel’s moulded frame is carved with a foliated decor. In it’s centre appears a coat-of-arms. It is the alliance of the three magi’s arms. Indeed as it was common for legendary figures the three of them received imaginaries coat-of-arms. Thus, on a field of azure stands a star for Melchior, a crescent for Caspar and a pennon for Balthazar. This high-relief panel is undeniably the work of a very skilled and imaginative artist. This key moment in the New Testament is transposed to a contemporary environment thanks to the figures’ clothing and the rural daily life scene. This way the universal dimension of the episode is highlighted allowing a better understanding for the contemporaries. The sculptor has represented the episodes of the Adoration of the Magi and the Announce to the Shepherd with great talent and numerous details giving life to a picturesque and narrative scene. The important traces of polychromy give those already very animated scenes a stronger pictorial power and a rich dynamism. Because of the picturesque and familiar realism so dear to the artists of the late Medieval era, of the didactic function of this type of panel as well as the quality of the sculpture this piece is an astounding example of Burgundian art of the 15th century. Literature Louis Réau, Iconographie de l’Art chrétien...

A fine antique limestone carving. Modeled as a Madonna. With her head slightly tilted, holding an orb in one hand, and with her other hand resting on her breast. By repute ...

19th century crucifix or corpus Christi made from wood. Wooden cross with a nice patina and an exquisite shape. This item depicts the Christ in his last agony on the cross, after be...

This fine amber sculpture depicting Jesus Christ is a very rare object. Exemples of this sort can only be found in Germanic countries. Already used during Prehistoric times, amber have always fascinated people. Because of the virtues associated with this material amber was carved as amulets and prophylactic ornaments. As an expression of luxury and means amber was also used for adornments and small figures collected by the upper classes. This fossilized resin was picked on the Baltic Sea shores and soon entered a intense trade system. From the 14th century onwards knights of the Teutonic Order...

While the birth of Christ is briefly told in the Gospel of Luke (2, 7) it is in the apocryphal texts that we find most of the elements and details that have then inspired artists. As of the 14th century and even more of the 15th century the subject of the Adoration of the Child replaces in Western art the scene of the Birth, much favoured in Byzantine art. Instead of being depicted lying with the new-born swathed in the manger, the Virgin is now kneeling, her hands joined in prayer in front of the naked child. This change was probably hastened by the popularity of the visions of Saint Bridget of Sweden to whom the Virgin allegedly appeared to show how she had given birth to Jesus (Visions, VII, chap. 21). Sheltered by a thatch-roofed structure the Virgin is kneeling in front of the Child Jesus. She wears a magnificent red dress under a large gold cloak. Her curled blond hair is partially veiled. The newborn is lying on a straw mat. Joseph is depicted with a parted beard and stands opposite from the Virgin. He wears a tunic and a coat with a purse hanging from the belt. His costume reminds us of the long journey him and Mary have accomplished to reach Bethlehem. Two other women are present. One is looking through the stable’s window to observe the Holy Family while another one kneels in prayer in front of the divine child. The rich costume of the lady might indicate she is a donator. However they could also both represent the women who took part in the birth of Christ, Zelemi and Salome. Salome, incredulous did not believe in the virginal conception of Mary and she is represented far from the scene. The artist has depicted her with an expression of doubt on her face. Zelemi, on the contrary, is a believer. She is rewarded by a place of honour at the heart of the scene, close to Mary. To the left the donkey and ox that have accompanied Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem observe quietly the scene. On the foreground two angels hold a scroll reading an excerpt from the Gloria : “/Gloria/ in excelsis /Deo/.” One of the angels wears a blue cape while the other’s is red Those two colours are very significant as during Middle-Ages blue symbolises hope and red charity. Together they express the hope in redemption thanks to the advent of Christ and his sacrifice to come. Above the main scene, up a cliff, a small shepherd lets his herd of sheep graze amidst the trees. He is framed by two walled cities. This wood carving is the work of a very skilled and inventive artist. The piece bears witness to his exceptional talent. The realism of the scene is emphasised by the amount of details depicted. The refinement of the carving itself is highlighted by the well preserved polychromy. This key moment of the New Testament is set in a contemporary context thanks to the clothes of the characters and the scenes of rural life. The universal dimension of the scene is intensified while allowing contemporary viewers to grasp its meaning more easily. This care for details, the picturesque realism as well as the extraordinary rendition of the cloths suggest it was made by a Flemish artist during the late 15th century. This relief can be compared with the panel of the Nativity from the Saint-Vaast altarpiece made by Jacques Daret between 1433 and 1435, today in Madrid’s Thyssen-Bronemisza Museum. Literature Louis Réau, Iconographie de l’Art chrétien...

San Antonio Abad, Castilian school of the 15th century (1440-1501) Carving in polychrome wood, measures: 45 x 15 cm good vintage conditions.

This wood Christ bears signs of time without diminishing its grace nor its interest. This Christ presents some characteristic of the previous century. While the feet are missing the position of his legs, parallel one to the other, let us think his feet where placed side by side as in the 12th century’s crucifix. The remains of his perizonium let us guess the cloth was very short, displaying the knees and a part of the thighs. The figure is straight, the arms horizontal, the hands open -with tha palm then pierced by nails- and the thumbs parallel to the other fingers as in most of the 12th century’s Christ on...

Exhibition Museum Cantini, 1952, The art of the Middle Ages in the Marseille collections, n°101 Provenance Former collection Louis Bresset (before 1952) Former collection Profe...

This Virgin and Child is wearing clothes with a limited number of folds and showing a thickness characteristic of the Burgundy region. As a result of the presence in the region of th...

The Saint depicted here is Saint James the Great. James is the brother of St. John the Evangelist. Nothing is known of his activities after the Ascension...

Seating on a bench-like throne the Virgin carries her child on her left knee. She bears an important crown high on her head .The Virgin has an ovoid face with bulging eyes, straight long nose and thin lips. The hair parts in the middle and are carved as thick horizontals parallel hair strands...

This face with prominent eyes, open mouth and beautiful hairs with symetrical undulations may be the face of the Archangel Gabriel.  

This wood scultpure showing fine traces of polychromy depicts John the Baptist, one the Old Testament’s last prophets and the first martyr of the New Testament. He is easily recognizable with the lamb he is carrying in his left hand. The way the artist has carved the face exudes a spiritual strenght inherited from previous centuries. Description Saint John the Baptist is depicted bare feet, seated in a hieratic manner. His elongated face is marked by a beard and a moustache. The straight nose and wide eyes indicate a Spanish origin. This asumption is reaffirmed by the Saint’s resigned expression. His parted hair frames his face while uncovering his ears. He wears a round collar red-orange tunic, draped onto the body and belted at the waist. A flap of his green coat covers his knees and falls down in stylized pleats. Following iconographic rules Saint John the Baptist is pointing with his right hand the lamb seated...

This carved oak woodwork was probably placed on the facade of the house, close to the roofing framework of a Norman house. The sculptor had depicted the salamender frontview in a sty...

Antique large size sculpture and an impressive, religious work of art. Looking at Christ suffering like this, the crucifix (in our view) is a symbol of what 'telling people the trut...

A stunning English, early 19th century, carved wood fragment in oak, detailing a lions mask with a garniture of oak leaves and acorns and the outer frame work with scrolling acanthus...

A fragment of a sandstone corbel with flat upper face, moulded transverse ledge and two protruding lobes with reserved trefoil detailing. The lower edge has fine dentiled carving and...

Beautiful and sizeable Church altar candelabra in the form of a winged Angel. This hand-carved Church altar piece is carved out of wood and the gilt finishing gives this piece it's ...

Large size sculpture and an impressive religious work of art. Looking at Christ suffering like this, the crucifix (in our view) is a symbol of what 'telling people the truth' can le...