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Item Ships From: Chicago
Vintage 1960s Blue Pedal Car Convertible
Located in Chicago, IL
Vibrant, sleek and full of character, this vintage pedal car was once the prized possession of children all across America. A popular toy since the late 19th century, pedal cars expe...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Steel

'Seated Hermes', a 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Bronze
Located in Chicago, IL
An extraordinary and wonderfully rendered 19th century Italian cast bronze depicting a seated Hermes, the Greek god of messengers, travelers, and merchan...
Category

19th Century Italian Grand Tour Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Vintage Mid-Century White Pedal Airplane
Located in Chicago, IL
Vibrant, sleek and full of character, this vintage pedal plane was once the prized possession of children all across America. A popular toy since the late 19th century, pedal cars an...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Vintage Mid-Century Pedal Car Fire Truck
Located in Chicago, IL
Vibrant, sleek and full of character, this vintage pedal car was once the prized possession of children all across America. A popular toy since the late 19th century, pedal cars expe...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Industrial Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Art Deco Cast Iron Foundry Workers Panel
Located in Chicago, IL
This striking Art Deco cast iron panel is a recast of an original design by Heinrich Moshage, a renowned artist known for his industrial-inspired works. The panel captures the dynami...
Category

20th Century American Art Deco Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Ancient Art, Athletic Male Nude Dynamic Figure , Bronze Sculpture by Dean Kugler
Located in Chicago, IL
This is an extraordinary black bronze sculpture of a male Muay Thai fighter t by artist Dean Kugler. Attention to detail and complete understanding of the hu...
Category

2010s American Futurist Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Chupicuaro Redware Figure
Located in Chicago, IL
This standing effigy figure was crafted in 300 BC from the ancient Chupicuaro region of Mexico and was likely used as a ritual or burial offering. The ceramic works of the Chupicuaro...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Mexican Pre-Columbian Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Woven Wicker Motorcycle by Tom Dixon
Located in Chicago, IL
An iconic design by British designer Tom Dixon, this full-scale woven wicker motorcycle was created during his tenure as Head of Design at Habitat in...
Category

1990s English Modern Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wicker

Marcello Fantoni Ceramic Shelf Hanger
By Marcello Fantoni, Raymor
Located in Chicago, IL
Marcello Fantoni for Raymor ceramic shelf hanging person. Glazed Ceramic. Cat pictured sold separately.
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Claude Lalanne Brooch Pomme Bouche Patinated Bronze Brooch Signed CL Lalanne
By Claude Lalanne
Located in Chicago, IL
Surrealistic Pomme Bouche brooch by Claude Lalanne, created in 1975. Bronze with a dark brown patina and a verdigris leaf and stem, signed with editions mark and monogrammed Arthus-B...
Category

1990s French Mid-Century Modern Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Pompeii" Memory Jug by Michael Thompson
By Michael Thompson
Located in Chicago, IL
Based in Chicago, IL, contemporary artist Michael Thompson creates unique kites, collages and mixed media works assembled from material fragments of past and present collected in his travels. In his ongoing series of memory jugs, Thompson adorns stoneware vessels with a kaleidoscope of ceramic shards, found objects, and pocket-sized trinkets he collected over the course of his life. Also known as forget-me-not jugs or spirit jars, memory jugs are African American folk art objects that honor a loved one who has recently passed. Small tokens and mementos of the deceased are gathered and affixed to the exterior of a jug or vase, an abundance of memories that celebrates a life lived to the fullest. Michael Thompson applies this tradition to his own practice, creating tactile assemblages of this and that. Formed in the manner of collage, each jug honors the lost memories of generations past and his own memories of personally discovering each item. With varied sources for materials including Kyoto, Turkey, and Mexico, a great number of the found shards are 18th and 19th century ceramics...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic, Stoneware

Japanese Gilt Seated Kannon Figure, circa 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Intricately carved and finished with gilt black lacquer, this seated figure depicts the bodhisattva Guanyin, known in Japanese Buddhism as Kannon. Described as the "Buddha of Infinite Compassion," Kannon is the embodiment of mercy and makes himself available to all who call upon him with all their mind. Kannon is depicted here seated in diamond position upon a double lotus plinth, set above a stepped base. He is dressed in gracefully draped robes and wears a tall crown bearing a minuscule figure of Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light. He has a serene expression of calm and holds his right hand in the abhaya mudra, a gesture of comfort, blessing, and protection. Backed by a magnificent leaf-form nimbus, this Kannon figure...
Category

Mid-19th Century Japanese Edo Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Lacquer

Pair of 19th Century Scottish Highland Hunter Staffordshire Figures
Located in Chicago, IL
A pair of wonderful late 19th century Staffordshire porcelain and gilt mantel figures depicting Scottish highland hunters dressed in kilts and traditional hunting dress, each with a ...
Category

Late 19th Century European Late Victorian Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Japanese Seated Portrait of a Zen Master, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This 19th century Japanese sculpture likely portrays an accomplished teacher of Japanese Zen Buddhism. Developed from wood with a polychrome finish, this monk is expertly carved with...
Category

Early 19th Century Japanese Edo Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

A Teak Wood Sculpture of a Cambodian Apsara Goddess
Located in Chicago, IL
Newly carved from reclaimed teakwood, this bust takes the form of a Cambodian apsara. With origins in Hindu and Buddhist mythology, Apsaras are female spirits of the clouds and water...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Thai Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Teak

Male Écorché Sculptures by Brenda Putnam, c. 1939
Located in Chicago, IL
This rare pair of écorché sculptures by renowned American sculptor Brenda Putnam (1890–1975) offers a fascinating glimpse into both artistic process and anatomical study. Dating to 1...
Category

1930s American Modern Vintage Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Thai Sandstone Torso of Buddha
Located in Chicago, IL
This sizeable torso is from Ayutthaya, and is one of three pieces that made up a figural sculpture of Buddha. Comprised of elegant curves and soft lines, the details of diaphanous ro...
Category

18th Century Thai Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Sandstone

Tibetan Gau Traveling Shrine with Silk Case, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category

Early 20th Century Tibetan Tibetan Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Brass, Copper

The Black Road: Iron, Classical Male Bust, Resin Sculpture with Rust Iron Patina
Located in Chicago, IL
This extraordinary sculptural portrait head takes its beginnings from classical antiquity. Attention to detail and complete understanding of the human figure are evident. The sculpture, which is made of resin and patinaed with a rusted iron can be shown on a base or lying down. Dean Kugler The Black Road: Iron, 2021 Resin and Iron Patina 20h x 16w in 60.96h x 40.64w cm DK0041 Dean Kugler is a seasoned interdisciplinary artist, painter, and figurative sculptor. His 3D work is featured primarily at Gallery Victor Armendariz in Chicago. In the last three years, Dean has also been featured at Abend Gallery in Denver, The Figge Art Museum, and Bereskin Gallery in Iowa. He has shown at SOFA Chicago in 2017, 2018, and 2019 and participated in ArtPrize in 2013, 2014, and 2015. He sees himself primarily as a sculptor due to the challenges he finds and thrives on within the process. In all its beauty, crudeness, and subtleties, the figure offers infinite opportunities to express feelings and emotions. There is also a physicality to sculpture that requires the work to be experienced through movement in order to reveal more about the piece. Dean has always been drawn to the interactive nature of large-scale sculpture that is available to the public - he loves the idea that his work entices the observer to go beyond what they can see and add tactility to the experience. By using both realism and abstraction, he creates a visual that challenges the viewer to resolve what they are seeing. Therefore, providing a greater connection between the artist and the viewer. Education 1993 – AA from Blackhawk College. 1995 – BFA from Western Illinois University. Texts 1995 – “Drawing: Skills, Means, Freedom”. Jan Clough / Ann Mullin. pub. 1995. 1993 – “Images” College publication featuring multiple pieces. 1992 – “Images” College publication featuring multiple pieces. Bibliography Dec 2022 - American Art Collector. “Room to grow”. Pages 48 and 49. 1 Oct 2018 – River Cities Reader. Article discussing a group show titled “Earth, Wind, and Fire” at Bereskin Gallery. 18 Aug 2018 – River Cities Reader. Article by Mike Schulz about my show titled “Relic” at the Quad City Arts. 1 Nov 2017 – Dispatch-Argus and QCOnline, Coverage of my showing at SOFA. 16 Dec 2016 – River Cities Reader. Article by Rick Martin about one-man art show titled “It Figures” at Black Hawk College. 22 June 2016 – Dispatch-Argus. Coverage of my one-man show titled “Animal Farm.” 22 Sept 2015 – Quad-City Times. “Body of work”. Article by David Burke about a one-man art show at Black Hawk College. 30 October 2014 – WVIK radio and online. Coverage of the ribbon-cutting for “Gravity” installation at the Rivercenter in Davenport, IA. 28 Sept 2014 – TV interview on WZZM13 in Grand Rapids covering ARTPRIZE and my sculpture, Gravity at the Gerald Ford...
Category

2010s American Classical Greek Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Resin

Powerful Hermanas: Elizabeth and Irene, Female Nude Bronze Pair by Dean Kugler
Located in Chicago, IL
The nude from Ancient Roman art is a conceptually perfected ideal person, each one a vision of health, youth, geometric clarity, and organic equilibrium. Kugler considers an emphasis...
Category

2010s American Greco Roman Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Jim Rose Barn House Structure, Welded Steel Sculpture Made with Salvaged Steel
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
This is a welded steel sculpture made by furniture creator Jim Rose. It is sustainable design created from salvaged and recycled steel panels left over from his larger projects. These sculptures reference traditional American Folk Art barn house models or bird houses. This sculpture works alone on a shelf or table or can be grouped with other house sculptures by the artist. Each house sculpture is unique in design and color. Jim Rose Structure No. 245 repurposed painted steel 6.50h x 8w x 3d in 16.51h x 20.32w x 7.62d cm JR0333 Jim Rose b. 1966, d. 2023 Bio Born in Indiana, Jim Rose lived in Europe until he returned to the United States to attend college. After one year at Bard College, Jim transferred to the School of the Art Institute in Chicago (SAIC) where he graduated in 1988 with a BFA. His skillful interpretation of the Shaker design is a result of intense research and field study of Shaker furniture, architecture, culture and history. After over two decades of dedicated work, he has mastered the minimalism of the Shaker technique and created his own unique visual vernacular. The quilts of Gee's Bend have become a monumental influence taking this artist's work to new levels of unique interpretation and artistry. His selection of aged steel results in a patina directly related to that of aged wood while his colored strips beautifully mimic worn cloth. Each piece of furniture is masterfully made and intended for daily use. Jim Rose’s steel furniture is featured every year at SOFA Chicago for the past 25 years. Jim Rose b. 1966, Wisconsin Education 1989 B.F.A., Sculpture, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL 1988 Student at Large, Welding Technology, Triton College, Chicago, IL 1985 Undergraduate Photography Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York Awards 2008 Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship Award, Madison, WI 2005 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA 2003 Grant Recipient for Shaker Interpretations in Cast Iron, PA Arts Assoc / WI Arts Board 2003 Arts/Industry Residency Program for Visual Artists, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Solo Exhibitions 2017 New Work, Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2012 Simply Steel, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI 2007 Variation, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2003 New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2001 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2000 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1999 Hands and Heart to Steel III, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL National Exhibitions 2017-2018 SOFA Chicago – Gallery Victor Armendariz 2016 - 1995 SOFA Chicago, New York, Palm Beach - Ann Nathan Gallery 2011 - 2002 Art Chicago - Ann Nathan Gallery Group Exhibitions 2017 Coming Attractions: Inaugural Exhibition, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2017 Living with Art: The Newman Collection, 108 Contemporary, Tulsa, Oklahoma 2016 Form Follows Function: The Intersection of Art and Craft, The Hardy Gallery, Ephraim, Wi 2015 NEO, Chipstone Foundation, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI 2015 ICFF, Furniture Society, Javits Convention Center, New York City, NY 2013 Vahki Revisited, The Enduring Spirit of a Craft Collection” Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ 2013 Fearless Furniture, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis, IN 2013 Inaugural Exhibition, Museum Wisconsin of Art, West Bend, WI 2012 Sitting Pretty: Furniture from RAM’s Collection, Racine Art Museum, WI 2011 Hiding Places: Memory in the Arts, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, WI 2010 Living with Art, Strohl Art Center, Chautauqua Institution, NY 2009 Summer in Wisconsin, Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2009 High Honors, James Watrous Gallery, Madison, WI 2008 Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary, Museum of Art and Design, NY 2007 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Art Association, Jackson, WY 2007 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX (traveling exhibition) 2006 Show us Your Drawers, Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN 2006 Marriage of the Minds...
Category

2010s American Folk Art Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Steel

George, Raku Fired Modern White Ceramic Bust of Male Head by Pavel Amromin
Located in Chicago, IL
This is a white glazed and black clay raku fired ceramic bust. Though modern, this sculpture references Classical Greek and Roman antiquities. A subtle red glaze is used on the lips and the artist has purposefully and mysteriously left a portion around the neck between the head and the chest free of glaze, exposing the black clay beneath. The cracking on the surface is a result of the raku firing process and intended to be there. Pavel Amromin George, 2017 raku fired ceramic 17H x 15W x 9D in 43.18H x 38.10W x 22.86D cm Pavel G. Amromin Exhibitions 2017 SOFA: Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 2009 Pavel Amromin: Adventure Bound, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA SOFA: Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art, New York, NY 2008 SOFA: Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art, New York, NY 38th Annual Ceramics Exhibition, Crossman Gallery, UW Whitewater, WI 2007 SOFA: Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art, Chicago, IL SOFA: Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art, New York, NY 2006 SOFA: Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art, Chicago, IL The Toy Soldier Collection – MFA Thesis Exhibition, University Gallery, University of Florida, Gainsville, FL 2005 SOFA: Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art, New York, NY 2004 SOFA: Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art, New York, NY SOFA: Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art, Chicago, IL 2003 SOFA...
Category

2010s American Classical Roman Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Larry Mohr “Nude Study” Female Verdigris Bronze Female.
By Larry Mohr
Located in Chicago, IL
Larry Mohr (American / New York 1921-2013), "Nude Study", verdigris patinated bronze sculpture of the lower part of a female body, signed L Mohr to base and 2 to edge of base.
Category

1990s American Mid-Century Modern Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Nayarit Chinesco-Style Figure
Located in Chicago, IL
This seated effigy figure was crafted in 300 BC to 300 AD from the ancient Nayarit region of Mexico and was likely used as a ritual or burial offering. The ceramic works of the Chine...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Mexican Pre-Columbian Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

La Tolita-Tumaco Standing Female Figure
Located in Chicago, IL
This standing effigy was crafted in 500 A.D. - 1000 A.D. Mesoamerica using the gray clay paste that characterizes La Tolita-Tumaco ceramics of early Colombia-Ecuador. The art of La Tolita-Tumaco civilization is considered one of the most developed of the pre-Columbian period as metalwork and ceramics were the most popular form of cultural expression. The ceramic creations of this culture were often based on the human figure to create portraits of people and realistic daily scenes of life cycles and the human condition. This figure appears to be wearing a loincloth and is adorned with a beaded necklace and an elaborate coiffure or headdress. There are holes lining each ear indicating the potential use of ear spools...
Category

15th Century and Earlier South American Pre-Columbian Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Set of 17th Century French Eavesdroppers
Located in Chicago, IL
These exquisite 17th century French carved wood eavesdroppers, now mounted on custom steel stands, are a captivating blend of historical artistry and modern presentation. Originally ...
Category

17th Century French Baroque Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Walnut

Chinese Bamboo Cloth Teapot, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Tea drinking has been an integral part of Chinese culture for centuries, resulting in a wide range of social customs and material traditions. In addition to tea leaves, water, and heat, the art of drinking tea (chayi) calls for a variety of teaware and utensils - both practical and decorative. This charming teapot dates to the late Qing dynasty and is hand-carved from a hollow length of bamboo to appear as though parceled by a cloth strung with tassels. The teapot has a squat, rounded form and a dark brown finish, reminiscent of Yixing red clay teapots...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bamboo

Neoclassical Cherub/Putti Garden Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
Neoclassical Cherub/Putti Garden Sculpture From a beautiful Southern Estate, approximately 50 years old. Stunning, neoclassical cherubs/putti garden statue...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Clay

'Benevento Head'
Located in Chicago, IL
Capture the essence of Hellenistic artistry with our exquisite reproduction of the famed "Benevento Head." Meticulously crafted from plaster and adorned with a lifelike bronze finish...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Hellenistic Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble

Miniature Chinese Hardwood Furniture Set
Located in Chicago, IL
This miniature furniture set - at only 6 inches tall - beautifully recreates classic Chinese furniture forms down to the finest of details. Crafted of a beautiful hardwood, prized for its strength and dark color, the set includes a side table and two petite roundback armchairs...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Qing Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Hardwood

Tibetan Gau Traveling Shrine with Silk Case, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category

Early 20th Century Tibetan Tibetan Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Copper, Brass

Lifesize Bronze Finish Atlas Sculpture Console Table
Located in Chicago, IL
Expertly cast and lacquered bronze finished sculpture of an atlas type figure supporting a bevelled 1" thick glass top. The base is a stepped and black lacquered rectangular plinth.
Category

1980s American Vintage Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Gesso, Glass, Lacquer, Resin

Monumental Leza McVey Surrealist "Eye in Hand" Ceramic Sculpture, 1977
By Leza McVey
Located in Chicago, IL
Monumental Leza McVey Surrealist "Eye in Hand" Ceramic Sculpture, 1977 Partially glazed stoneware Signature: Signed "Leza" inside the hand Dimensions: 23¾" H × 14¼" W × 7¾" D Conditi...
Category

1970s American Vintage Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stoneware

Japanese Zushi Traveling Shrine of Bishamonten, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This gorgeous Japanese red lacquer traveling shrine (zushi) protects a miniature statue of Bishamonten, the Buddhist God of Warfare here depicted as an armor-clad warrior. A fearsome protector, he is thought to defend sacred places, punish evil-doers, expel demons and bestow wealth. In this example, Bishamonten stands atop a crouching demon, dressed in finely painted armor...
Category

Mid-19th Century Japanese Edo Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Gio Ponti Hand Sculpture by Sabattini
By Lino Sabattini, Gio Ponti
Located in Chicago, IL
Gio Ponti Hand Sculpture by Sabattini Silver-Plated Metal made in Italy 1978 Dimensions: 13½ h × 3¾ w × 3¼ d in
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Silver Plate

Yoruba Four Headed Egungun Headdress
By Yoruba People
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category

Mid-20th Century Nigerian Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Miniature Chinese Etagere Bookcase
Located in Chicago, IL
A full size bookcase with this level of workmanship and detail would be an incredible find, but this beautiful piece of furniture—at only eight inches tall—is perfectly constructed d...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Qing Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Hardwood

An Aniconic Lingam on a Stone Base
Located in Chicago, IL
These granite river stones are depictions of the Lingam, symbolizing the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. They are considered to be emblems of generative and destructive power. While roo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Indian Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Granite

Powerful Hermanas: Elizabeth, Female Nude Bronze Sculpture by Dean Kugler
Located in Chicago, IL
The nude from Ancient Roman art is a conceptually perfected ideal person, each one a vision of health, youth, geometric clarity, and organic equilibr...
Category

2010s American Greco Roman Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Chinese Table Screen with Soapstone Panel, circa 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Prevalent in fine Chinese interiors as early as the Tang dynasty (618-906), standing screens with decorative stone panels served numerous functions as portable architecture. Used to ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Soapstone

Monumental Chinese Green Glazed Koi
Located in Chicago, IL
A visual pun for "abundance," this monumental ceramic fish sculpture brings an abundance of blessings, wealth and marital bliss. The terracotta statue depicts a large koi, or carp, j...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

Vintage Glazed Porcelain Space Shuttle Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
This mid-20th century American space-age porcelain sculpture is a striking ode to NASA's space exploration. Depicting a space shuttle in the initial stages of launch, the orbiter and...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Space Age Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Modernist Carved Stone Portrait Bust
Located in Chicago, IL
This 21st century hand-carved stone portrait bust is expertly hewn from a striped gray and tan stone. The artist expertly and intentionally utilized the natural veining of the stone ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Chinese Blue and White Fu Lion Headrest
Located in Chicago, IL
This small ceramic block is actually a form of Chinese headrest or neck pillow. Popular during the Qing dynasty, rigid headrests such as this were used by upper-class women to protec...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Stone Seated Shakyamuni Buddha Stele, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This carved stone stele depicts the historical Buddha, known also as Shaka, Shakyamuni, or Siddhartha Gautama. Seated in perpetual meditation, the Buddha embodies virtues of wisdom and composure. Hand-carved of limestone in the style of Northern Wei (386-535) statuary, the Buddha is depicted upon a lotus plinth with legs crossed in lotus position. His hands are held downwards in bhumisparsha mudra, a gesture representing the moment that the Buddha claimed the earth as witness to his awakening. The Buddha has a peaceful, benevolent expression and is framed by a halo of concentric circles. His figure is surrounded by attendant bodhisattvas, carved in relief on the curved stele behind and platform below. Leafy tree branches add a naturalistic touch to the background, wrapping around to the back of the stele to form a canopy above a second, smaller Buddha...
Category

Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Limestone

Miniature Chinese Etagere Bookcase
Located in Chicago, IL
A full size bookcase with this level of workmanship and detail would be an incredible find, but this beautiful piece of furniture—at only ten inches tall—is perfectly constructed dow...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Qing Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Hardwood

Petite Chupicuaro Female Figure
Located in Chicago, IL
This standing female figure was crafted in 400-100 BC from the ancient Chupicuaro region of Mexico. The ceramic works of the Chupicuaro people are distinguished by their slanted, cof...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Mexican Pre-Columbian Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Early 19th Century English Regency Greek Revival Gilt Carving of a Sphinx
Located in Chicago, IL
From the 1700s through the early 1800s, European aristocrats developed a fascination with ancient Egyptian culture and design that culminated in a full Egyptian Revival. Prominent figures such as Marie Antoinette and Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned rooms decorated with Egyptian motifs. This cultural moment reflects a fascination with a sophisticated civilization of great artists and pharaohs. The Regency era possessed very little knowledge of the Great Pyramids or hieroglyphics, a quality that lent Egyptian art interpretation a compelling air of mystique. This English Regency period gilt carving depicts a popular figure of borrowed Egyptian motif: the Sphinx. Recognized among educated circles as a symbol of brilliance in the ancient past, the Sphinx was well-known as a mythological creature who destroys those who failed to answer her riddle. Such a piece as this, excellent in detail and craftsmanship, may have once graced the mantle of a gentleman’s study or been exchanged as a gift between British scholars. The beautiful gold surface has been achieved by an artful combination of gilt and gesso; the art enthusiast will appreciate the intricate texture realized in the carving’s hair and tail as well as the delicate detailing of the saddle. Borrowing from the Egyptians, the Greeks had their own interpretation of the Sphinx. Greek mythology chronicled the Sphinx as being the daughter of Orthous and Chimera or Laius and attributed the riddles, which she proposed, as having been taught to her by the Muses. Crowned with a Grecian diadem and having a refined expression, she evokes an ancient yet reserved intellect. For the modern-day enthusiast of classical Greek art...
Category

Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Gold Leaf

Teotihuacan Ceramic Head Fragment
Located in Chicago, IL
This intriguing head fragment was once attached to a bust or full effigy figurine crafted in 400 A.D. Mesoamerica. Earthenware figurines were made in great abundance throughout Teotihuacan's history. After 250 A.D. objects made from clay increased dramatically in Teotihuacan, serving a wide variety of purposes and functions from religious rituals to burial offerings. Figurines like this commemorated important people and events within the city of Teotihuacan and other parts of Mesoamerica, portraying individuals of different rank and status such as soldiers, merchants, bureaucrats, and occasionally divinities. This figure is adorned with an elaborate headdress, a thick beaded necklace...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Mexican Pre-Columbian Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Pair of Six-Foot High Topiary Spiral Shaped Cedar Plants
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Six-Foot High Topiary Spiral Shaped Cedar Plants with painted wood planters. We have used these and similar Topiaries in our showrooms for decades and there are currently 2-p...
Category

Early 2000s Chinese Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Other

Sculptural Early 20th Century Ethiopian Chair
Located in Chicago, IL
A wonderfully sculptural early 20th century Ethiopian side chair with a hide seat and back stitched with hide strips, and stretched over a primitive wood frame. Chair is functional, ...
Category

Early 20th Century Ethiopian Tribal Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Hide, Wood

Chinese Blue and White Headrest with Guardian Lion, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
In order to keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman once used this ceramic box as a pillow. Lavishly decorated in the traditional blue-and...
Category

Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Found and Salvaged Industrial Steel Object Sculpture Figure with Face
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Jim Rose Standing found industrial objects 41h x 10w x 10d in 104.14h x 25.40w x 25.40d cm JR0355 Jim Rose b. 1966, d. 2023 Bio Born in Indiana, Jim Rose lived in Europe until he returned to the United States to attend college. After one year at Bard College, Jim transferred to the School of the Art Institute in Chicago (SAIC) where he graduated in 1988 with a BFA. His skillful interpretation of the Shaker design is a result of intense research and field study of Shaker furniture, architecture, culture and history. After over two decades of dedicated work, he has mastered the minimalism of the Shaker technique and created his own unique visual vernacular. The quilts of Gee's Bend have become a monumental influence taking this artist's work to new levels of unique interpretation and artistry. His selection of aged steel results in a patina directly related to that of aged wood while his colored strips beautifully mimic worn cloth. Each piece of furniture is masterfully made and intended for daily use. Jim Rose’s steel furniture is featured every year at SOFA Chicago for the past 25 years. Jim Rose b. 1966, Wisconsin Education 1989 B.F.A., Sculpture, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL 1988 Student at Large, Welding Technology, Triton College, Chicago, IL 1985 Undergraduate Photography Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York Awards 2008 Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship Award, Madison, WI. 2005 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA 2003 Grant Recipient for Shaker Interpretations in Cast Iron, PA Arts Assoc / WI Arts Board 2003 Arts/Industry Residency Program for Visual Artists, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Solo Exhibitions 2017 New Work, Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2012 Simply Steel, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI 2007 Variation, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2003 New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2001 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2000 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1999 Hands and Heart to Steel III, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL National Exhibitions 2017-2018 SOFA Chicago – Gallery Victor Armendariz 2016 - 1995 SOFA Chicago, New York, Palm Beach - Ann Nathan Gallery 2011 - 2002 Art Chicago - Ann Nathan Gallery Group Exhibitions 2017 Coming Attractions: Inaugural Exhibition, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2017 Living with Art: The Newman Collection, 108 Contemporary, Tulsa, Oklahoma 2016 Form Follows Function: The Intersection of Art and Craft, The Hardy Gallery, Ephraim, Wi 2015 NEO, Chipstone Foundation, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI 2015 ICFF, Furniture Society, Javits Convention Center, New York City, NY 2013 Vahki Revisited, The Enduring Spirit of a Craft Collection” Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ 2013 Fearless Furniture, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis, IN 2013 Inaugural Exhibition, Museum Wisconsin of Art, West Bend, WI 2012 Sitting Pretty: Furniture from RAM’s Collection, Racine Art Museum, WI 2011 Hiding Places: Memory in the Arts, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, WI 2010 Living with Art, Strohl Art Center, Chautauqua Institution, NY 2009 Summer in Wisconsin, Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2009 High Honors, James Watrous Gallery, Madison, WI 2008 Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary, Museum of Art and Design, NY 2007 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Art Association, Jackson, WY 2007 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX (traveling exhibition) 2006 Show us Your Drawers, Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN 2006 Marriage of the Minds, Fairfield Center for Contemporary Art, Sturgeon Bay, WI 2006 27th Annual Contemporary Crafts, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ 2006 Containers of All Dimensions, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ 2005 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA 2004 Right at Home: American Studio Furniture, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. 2004 American Collections, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI 2004 More Than Drawers-Wisconsin Cabinets, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI 2004 Objects of Wonder, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI 2003 Planting, Potting and Pruning, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, WI 2003 Men at Work, Miller Art Museum, Sturgeon Bay, WI 2002 Case Pieces: Contemporary Studio Furniture, Elvehjem Museum of Art, Univ of WI-Madison 2002 Sitting Pretty: Contemporary Wisconsin Chairs, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI 2001 Anything with a Drawer - Award Recipient, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ 2001 23rd Annual Contemporary Crafts - Award Recipient, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ 2000 New Talent in Craft, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, Wisconsin 2000 Who Knows Where or When, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, Wisconsin 1999 The End is Near! Artists look at the 20th Century, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, WI Selected collections Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, Arizona The Museum of Arts and Design, New York, New York John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Kohler Company, Kohler, Wisconsin Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, Arkansas Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis, Indiana The Chipstone Foundation, Fox Point, Wisconsin Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, Wisconsin Publications “Selected Artists of Door County” Stonehill Publishing, 2016 “Galvanized Chest” Door County Living Magazine, Autumn 2012 “100 Artists of the Midwest” Schiffer Books, 2012 “Piecework” American Craft Magazine, February 2012 “Hiding Places, Memory in the Arts” John Michael Kohler Arts Center, June 2011 “Second Lives, Remixing the Ordinary” Museum of Arts and Design, NY, August 2008 “Studio Furniture” Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, DC, May 2008 “Discoveries by Designers” Architectural Digest, December 2005 “Contemporary Metal Furniture” Metalsmith Magazine, Winter 2003 “Studio Case Furniture: The Inside Story” American Craft Magazine, October 2002 “Contemporary Studio Case Furniture: The Inside Story” Elvehjem Museum of Art, 2002 “Chicago Style...
Category

2010s American Folk Art Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Pair of Chinese Sancai Fu Lion Protectors, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Believed to be powerful protectors against malevolent spirits, fu lion dogs have stood guard at the entryways and thresholds of Chinese homes for centuries. This pair of small cerami...
Category

Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stoneware

Monumental Leza McVey Surrealist "Eye in Hand" Ceramic Sculpture, 1977
By Leza McVey
Located in Chicago, IL
Monumental Leza McVey Surrealist "Eye in Hand" Ceramic Sculpture, 1977 Partially glazed stoneware Signature: Signed "Leza" inside the hand Dimensions: 23¾" H × 14¼" W × 7¾" D Conditi...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

John Dickinson Sculpture
By John Dickinson
Located in Chicago, IL
Driftwood sculpture selected by John Dickinson for the Historic Firehouse, San Francisco. Placed in John's bedroom on the same cases shown, (also available) Custom brass display mount...
Category

1970s American American Craftsman Vintage Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Chinese Bamboo Cloth Teapot with Arched Handle, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Tea drinking has been an integral part of Chinese culture for centuries, resulting in a wide range of social customs and material traditions. In addition to tea leaves, water, and he...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bamboo

"Beach-Combed Mochaware" Memory Jug by Michael Thompson
By Michael Thompson
Located in Chicago, IL
Based in Chicago, IL, contemporary artist Michael Thompson creates unique kites, collages and mixed media works assembled from material fragments of past and present collected in his travels. In his ongoing series of memory jugs, Thompson adorns stoneware vessels with a kaleidoscope of ceramic shards, found objects, and pocket-sized trinkets he collected over the course of his life. Also known as forget-me-not jugs or spirit jars, memory jugs are African American folk art objects that honor a loved one who has recently passed. Small tokens and mementos of the deceased are gathered and affixed to the exterior of a jug or vase, an abundance of memories that celebrates a life lived to the fullest. Michael Thompson applies this tradition to his own practice, creating tactile assemblages of this and that. Formed in the manner of collage, each jug honors the lost memories of generations past and his own memories of personally discovering each item. With varied sources for materials including Kyoto, Turkey, and Mexico, a great number of the found shards are 18th and 19th century ceramics...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chicago Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

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