Carved Decorative Objects

Beautiful carving of Guanyin, shown standing on a rocky outcrop, mounted on a lobed wooden base. It was once used as a lamp, and can be rewired. Nice faded painted surface. Guany...

This is an antique wooden netsuke made in Japan around Taisho period 1920s. Netsuke is a miniature sculpture, originating in 17th century Japan. Initially a simply-carved button fas...

Oval-section handbag powder compact in 925/1000 sterling silver with black fired enamel. Opening with 18-karat gold bezel with round cabochon ruby, diameter 4 mm. Ground mirror sligh...

A very fine regulator made by the firm of French Royal Exchange, the eight day movement with Harrison’s maintaining power and deadbeat escapement...

Sculpture, sculpted sandstone bust in the taste of ancient Egypt, XXth century. Bust, carved sandstone sculpture in the taste of ancient Egypt, 20th century. Dimensions : H: 58cm, ...

Early wood sculpture by Alma Allen (1970- ). Lathe turned in wenge that has an incredible grain pattern. Made in the 2000's. Signed by the artist. AA 3

Exceptional hand-carved wooden ram's head wall mount, made in Spain for Sarreid Ltd., 1970s. Sculpted with striking detail, the head features curling horns, deeply carved fleece, and...

A LARGE WOOD FIGURE OF GUANYIN WITH TRACES OF PIGMENTS MING DYNASTY (1368-1644) The bodhisattva is shown seated in padmasana, wearing long flowing ro...

Monumental antique carved wooden trough or bowl, 19th century. This is a rare antique hand carved wooden trough or bowl, which can be used for decoration or as a (fruit) bowl or mag...

A lovely pair of 18th century Italian candlesticks made from carved wood. With layers of beautiful polychrome paint and traces of original gold gilding. Please contact us for a wor...

Charming and expressive, this antique Italian ceramic sculpture captures the alert presence of an owl in striking detail. Hand-painted and richly glazed, the figure showcases finely ...

A stunning French white marble mortar dating from the nineteenth century with unique linear striation marks creating a grated texture on the outside. This would make an excellent scu...

19th century Swedish folk Art wooden bowl dated 1791 & owner marks PPS A stunning antique organic wooden bowl with lovely patina. You can see the use of time. The bowl is made of...

Olmec Pre-Columbian Carved Jade Erotic Sculpture, depicting a male figure embracing a female figure. 1.75" H x 3.25" W x 1.75" D. Provenance: From the Upper East Side Apartment of a ...

Important sculptural vase carved by hand from a solid block of rare Rose Quartz. Vase dimensions: D 57 x H 50 cm, available in different quartzite, onyx and marbles. Limited editio...

A mid 20th Century Handcrafted, Hand-Carved from a single piece of wood , Figure of an Bald American Eagle landing On Wood Plinth, Circa 1950s. Varnish Finish in very good condition....

Exceptionnelle et rare sculpture réalisé en 2014 en bronze représentant un ours polaire, œuvre des bronziers-sculpteurs français Bernard & Arnaud Bessoud. Éditée à seulement 8 ex...

Blue Agate Paperweight - Precious Stone Desk Accessory - Minimal Sculpture 1980s Chic agate paperweight with a pyramid design. Very beautiful veins and blue tones. Shiny surface. ...

Large Grand Tour marble bust of the goddess Diana, after the ancient Roman original from the 1st/2nd century AD, today housed in the Louvre, Paris. Finely carved with classical elega...

Caribbean mahogany hinged pedestal tea poy with fitted interior, foliate carvings, and resting on the original scrolled feet. Early 19th century.

ALFRED BARYE French, 1839-1882 "Walter Scott: Cheval de'Selle de L'Empreur" Patinated bronze Titled to base in the towel, signed "Barye Fils" 15 1/2" W x 13 1/8" H x 5 3/8" D Ori...

Very nice carved oak fragment of a Christ figure with a strong expression. Beautiful weathered , France circa 1600-1700. Weathered, and losses. Measurement with the base

CONSOLE NO. 1 J.M. Szymanski d. 2018 This unique console table is inspired by the ancient Asian decorative arts. The inverted legs give this unique table a highly dynamic look. Its ...

1831 Hand carved Grand Mouflan De Ram fram a solid piece of hardwood

This exceptional 15th-century Venetian painted casket is a rare example of early decorative art from the late Medieval to early Renaissance period in the Republic of Venice, Italy. H...

Early 20th Century Hand-Carved Folk Art Duck Decoy. The duck 's head is movable and the body features wonderful patina throughout including traces of the original paint. Wonderful co...

A beautifully weathered terracotta vessel from early 20th-century Anatolia, hand-thrown in coarse local clay and fired in a traditional wood kiln. Originally used for storing olive o...

A pair of Italian carved and painted wooden floral-shaped urns from the first half of the 20th century with weathered finish. Born in Italy during the second quarter of the 20th cent...

Pocket photos holder in sterling silver 925/1000 gold plated with two-tone translucent fired enamels on guillochè, with hand-engraved edges. Empire style Napoleon III. Octagonal hing...

Exceptionally elegant late 19th Century studio easel, Neoclassical with early Amsterdam School influences This rare and elegant late 19th century artist’s easel is an outstanding ex...

A pair of large Late 20th Century Thai hand carved wooden horse sculptures. Circa 1980s Feature two horses trotting, carved from single piec...

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...

Group of five mid 20th century modernist abstract carved wood sculptures. Some are signed w/ artist monogram at lower back side ( see picture 8 ) the sculptures measure as follows - ...

Old well weathered hardwood Kuna Indian abstract figure, Panama, Provenance, old CA state collection. Body abstracted down to two forms for shoulders and hips, with small fine head....

A pair of large, carved alabaster urns from Portugal (late 19th century) exhibiting all the worldly refinement and grandeur of the period. The urn forms have a light blush-tone and f...

A truly unique pair of Napoleon III Second Empire Period (1852-1870) Neo-Etruscan style gilt bronze table candelabras by the prestigious 19th century fondeur and doreur Henri Picard ...

Discover the Crystalline collection by Czech ceramicist Milan Pekař — a series of vessels where science and artistry meet in perfect balance. Through precise and painstaking experime...

Mario Dal Fabbro Sculpture No. 16 1979 Signed, Mario Dal Fabbro, F.9 Multi-disciplinary artist Mario Dal Fabbro was born in Cappella Maggiore, Italy in 1913. He trained in his ...

Impresionante y raro reloj francés de sobremesa de gran tamaño, fechado hacia 1870 (siglo XIX), realizado en mármol negro belga con paneles insertados de mármol rojo griotte. En su p...

Mid century rococo revival gilt clock by Westerstrand circa 1950. Good quality rococo influenced clock by well known Swedish maker westerstrand. Fitted with a twin train 8 day move...

EDITH BARRETTO PARSONS American, 1878-1956 "Duck Baby" Verdigris patinated bronze Signed "E.B. PARSONS" to base Marked "Roman Bronze Works, N.Y." to edge of base 41" H x 9 1/2" W ...

Discover a decorative piece you can assemble yourself — a puzzle and candelabra in one. Bring playful elegance to any celebration with the Triangle Candelabra: a sculptural piece ma...

English Gothic style (19th Cent) dark oak table top altar with a filigree shelf under 3 tracery carved panels with an open lattice gallery

This well executed antique wall sculpture is unsigned, but presumed to have been done in Switzerland in approximately 1890 in the period Black F...

JEAN-BAPTISTE CLESINGER French, 1814-1883 "Sapho" Sand-cast bronze in medium-brown patination Raised on original rouge marble Signed "J. CLESINGER", titled "SAPHO" and signed "Mais...

This is an old Japanese natural wood Shokudai (candlestick). It was made in the late Edo period (1860s-1900s), and the material used is probably coniferous cedar wood. The texture o...

An antique Venetian hardware door knocker mounted on a wooden stand, in good condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Circa 16th - 17th Century, Venice, Italy.

Masterfully carved Italian Vanitas / Memento Mori bust in solid marble from late 19th century. White Carrara marble skull combined with masterfully...

Table clock in 925/1000 sterling silver gold-plated with translucent fired enamel on a sunburst guilloché, with various ornaments in Napoleon III Empire style, late 19th century. The...

Impressive gilt gold and silver art frame found in a market in Copenhagen, Denmark. Perfect piece for that special oil painting or watercolor. The frame has wonderful patina througho...

The shape of the inactive Tronador volcano reminded us of the pyramid shaped idea of our boxes that make up this collection. With a rectangular or square base, the box is a reflectio...

19th century folk art box, with burl wood veneer and mother of pearl and fruit wood inlay. The surface decorated with geometric, diamond and star motifs. The raised top with a banded...

Caged Santos Spain, 18th Century Life size carved and painted Santos figure with caged frame. 22”w x 14”d x 48.5”h Ref. SAN1302

This is a Shigaraki ware ceramic piece, crafted in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Shigaraki ware originates from the Shigaraki region and dates back as far as the 8th century. It is one of...

Exceptional polychrome wood low-relief depicting a werewolf and saint george after a woodcut by lucas cranach (“DER WERWOLF” 1512) Provenance : collection Brimo de Laroussihle colle...

20th Century Mid-Century Modern handmade 14 inches veined tan, beige Carrara marble bowl, plate, centerpiece made in Italy. This Bowl is amazingly crafted, very heavy and decorative ...

"Roma Imperiale" is not just a vase or rather a sculpture, imagine it as a memory, the memory of a nobility now dissolved, a suspended memory, forgotten in a secret garden, of those ...

Amazing 18th century carved wooden Baroque arm of a Saint figure. This piece was once part of a procession Saint figure. The arm is now placed at a wooden base and as visible on the ...

Crafted from wood with intricate, hand-carved details, this vintage tramp art box is another timeless peice of history to treasure. Featuring a layered, hand-carved design, original ...

This wooden headdress was created by the Yoruba People of western Nigeria, and was worn during a masquerade known as egungun. A widespread Yoruba ritual, egungun performances honor a...