Chicago Figurative Sculptures

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...

Although practiced for centuries, Chinese glass-making gained prominence during the Qing-dynasty with the introduction of Peking glass. Adapting European technologies, workshops in the Imperial Palace began creating layered and intricately-carved glass pieces that mimicked the translucency of jade, semiprecious stones, and rare jewels. This Peking glass charm is sculpted as a tiny bok choy...

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...

Ancestor worship was an integral part of traditional Chinese home life. This carved figure bears the likeness of one of its original owner's important for...

After Franz Bergman Vienna Austria bronze with original patina finish to the bronze Buddha. Open the Buddha to reveal a cold painted gold nude female...

Known for his steel furniture, Jim Rose was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique, interesting items. Here he has paired various repurposed finds together to create...

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...

To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his miniature car sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Born from a fascination with the soap box derby...

Cenedese Murano Glass Sculpture Style of Picasso. Amazing piece of glass sculpture with the look of a Picasso piece. Excellent condition. Measures 11....

Conceptual Miniature Chair by Natasha Nicholson, Oakwood structure with rubber strands pass through multiple holes throughout. Can be displayed hung on wall or Shelf, Table, etc. Fro...

Hand carved of stone, this object would have been used in a shoemaker’s shop to press down large pieces of leather. Doubling as a handle, the central figure depicts the curious figure of a man with pig-like facial features holding a rake. The figure is Zhu Bajie, a character from the Ming-dynasty novel “Journey to the West...

The Luba people of Zaire believed that ancestors visited them through dreams. This belief led to elaborately worked headrests, known as "seats of dreams." Such headrests were used to...

To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his miniature car sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Born from a fascination with the soap box derby cars of his youth, eac...

No idol in China is more widely worshiped than Caishen, the God of Wealth. His shrine can be found in nearly every home, his image set beside ancestors a...

To keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman would use a rigid headrest or neck pillow to keep her head elevated. Whether functional or pure...

An unusual and charming antique, this 20th century Chinese charm was once used to adorn the embroidered crown of a traditional children's hat. Amulets such as this were worn on hats ...

Meticulously carved from beechwood, this cherub pair recalls the iconic Renaissance style of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Better recognized by their Italian name, putti—the singular putto refers to the Latin putus, meaning “boy” or “child”—these types of figures often recur in religious artwork as symbols of God...

To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Working from found materials, Fitzgerald constructs miniature soap box cars...

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...

Ceramic male figure, fired stoneware with monochromatic pattern. Incised signature underside.

Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald uses his works as a means of resurrecting the idyllic worlds he once found in the Industrial surroundings of his youth. Raised in Grand Rapids...

An integral part of traditional Chinese home life, ancestor worship before a domestic altar often featured painted ancestral portraits or tabletop ancestor figure...

To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Working from found materials, Fitzgerald constructs miniature soap box cars and the ...

Although this whimsical sculpture by Allan Winkler has the look of outsider art, this ceramic work stems from the art school-trained artist’s interest in...

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...

This miniature ceramic table is from Shanxi Province and may have been made to represent Mingqi, a type of ancient Chinese burial good. Mingqi were plac...

Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald uses his works as a means of resurrecting the idyllic worlds he once found in the Industrial surroundings of his youth. Raised in Grand Rapids, MI, he looks to the raw beauty and inherent potential of his manufacturing hometown as an endless source of creative inspiration. Working from found materials, Fitzgerald constructs miniature versions of soap box cars...

Carved in wood, this 19th-century figure of a spirit paid tribute to ancestors past on a traditional altar table. Allowing the base to reflect the wood’s natural state, the artist ca...

To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Working from found materials, Fitzgerald constructs miniature soap box cars and the ...

Paul Hart American Craft Face Sculpture 1975, Assemblage Made with Reclaimed Objects, Broom and mop heads, fence parts and wood wheels. Signed to Copper Studio...

A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king...

An integral part of traditional Chinese home life, ancestor worship before a domestic altar often featured painted ancestral portraits or tabletop ance...

A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire. This colorful example of African beadwork...

To keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman would use a rigid headrest or neck pillow to keep her head elevated. Whether functional or purely decorative, such headrests were crafted from a variety of materials and were often decorated with elaborate patterns or symbolic motifs. This porcelain headrest...

This intricate limestone stele of a standing buddha likely depicts Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future. The only Buddhist divinity revered as both a bodhisattva and a Buddha, Maitreya is prophesied to return to Earth some time in the distant future and continue the historic Buddha's teachings of the Dharma. Like the historic Shakyamuni Buddha, Maitreya is a compassionate being devoted to showing the path to enlightenment. Carved in the style of sixth century Chinese statuary...

Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald uses his works as a means of resurrecting the idyllic worlds he once found in the Industrial surroundings of his youth. Raised in Grand Rapids...

A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king...

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...

A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire. This colorful example of African beadwork is a fertility doll...

To keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman once used this ceramic headrest as a pillow. This headrest is shaped in the form of a baby boy,...

An unusual and charming antique, this 20th century Chinese charm was once used to adorn the embroidered crown of a traditional children's hat. Amulets such as this were worn on hats ...

Set of five ceramic chairs sculpture by Chicago based artist Linda Kramer. Measures: Chair heights: 5.5", 7.5", 10.25", 14.5", 19.5" Born in New York City in 1937, raised in C...

Antique Thai Carved Seated Buddha Playing a Flute This is an Antique Thai Buddha, with a triangular base to match his seated lotus position, and h...

A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king...

Clyde Burt figural ceramic face on attached plinth in glazed stoneware and hand painted face. Signature to underside: [CB].

Although this whimsical sculpture by Allan Winkler has the look of outsider art, this ceramic work stems from the art school-trained artist’s interest in...

Richard E. Filipowski, graduate of the Chicago Institute of Design, hand-sculpted Marquette. Stylized branch composition out of delicate components...

Mario Dal Fabbro sculpture no. 24 Signed, 1976. Nodding head. C.6 Multi-disciplinary artist Mario Dal Fabbro was born in Cappella Maggiore, Italy in 1913. He trained in his family's furniture design shop prior to attending both the R. Superior Institute for Decorative and Industrial Arts in Venice as well as Magistero Artistico, graduating with high honours in 1937. From the years of 1938-1948 Dal Fabbro immersed himself in furniture design and academia. Primarily, he designed furniture for both design houses and private clients. Del Fabbro participated in the Triennale de Milano competition in both 1939 and 1947 and won the Ganzatti Contest for 'Standardization of Furniture". During this period he also contributed to the Italian design publications Domus and Stile and the French magazine L'Architecture D'Aujourd'hui. In 1948 Mario Dal Fabbro immigrated to America and began designing furniture for mass production, working for J.G. Furniture in New York and Quakertown, PA. During his years steady employ, he published Modern Furniture: Its Design And Construction in 1949 and contributed regularly to The New York Times and House and Garden. His subsequent publications spanned a little over the decade and included How to Build Modern Furniture (1951), How to Make Built-In Furniture (1955) and How to Make Children's Furniture and Play Equipment...

A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king...

A group of 3 Austrian ceramic figures attributed to Leopold Anzengruber. Manner of Walter Bosse and the Wiener Werkstatte Dimension is of dancing large figure. Note: They are all ...

Once ornately gilt, this serene bronze seated Buddha was created in Thailand in the mid-19th century. Cast in the older Sukhothai style, the Buddha bears a uniquely Thai flame-like s...

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...

This large polychromed wood figure from southeast Asia dates to the mid-19th century and depicts a male attendant or entertainer. Hand-carved by...

Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald uses his works as a means of resurrecting the idyllic worlds he once found in the Industrial surroundings of his youth. Raised in Grand Rapids, MI, he looks to the raw beauty and inherent potential of his manufacturing hometown as an endless source of creative inspiration. Working from found materials, Fitzgerald constructs miniature versions of soap box cars...

To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his miniature car sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Born from a fascination with the soap box derby cars of his youth, each vehicle is an exercise in imagining the future through the lens of the past – or vice versa. Built from found materials collected over the years, the car's futuristic form is layered with personal memories and keepsakes from the past. The most minute of details is always intentional – from the weathered finish to the fictitious sponsor to the miniaturized furnishings of the cramped interior. This coloful vehicle entitled “Senzo Titulo” is a play upon the 1964 film "Il Deserto Rosso," or "Red Desert," by Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni...

This miniature robe rack made out of glazed ceramic is called a mingqi or “spirit object.” Mingqi were buried in tombs and represented all of the things the ...

A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire. This colorful example of African beadwork is a ceremonial doll...

To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his miniature car sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Born from a fascination with the soap box derby cars of his youth, eac...

Cast in brass with a rich patina, this seated figure is a Lama, a spiritual master and teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The figure likely de...

Doted on like an actual child, this carved doll was once owned by a young girl among the Namji people of northwest Cameroon. Carted around by its owner wherever she went and lovingly...