18th Century and Earlier Figurative Sculptures

A neoclassical medallion in white marble, in relief, depicting a male profile with long, wavy hair, late 18th century. These small collectible medallions were often brought back f...

Polychrome Wood Sculpture of the Christ Child, Catalan School, 18th Century A finely carved and expressive figure from the late Baroque period. Crafted in wood with traces of its ori...

Large mirror made by a Florentine woodcarver working in the early 18th century (it can be hung on the wall in either direction) Tuscany (Florence) Louis XIV style Carved and g...

French Romanesque historiated capital. Herod and the Massacre of the Innocents. Romanesque historiated capital in dolomitic limestone, carved in high relief on three figured faces, t...

Melanie Sherman Vintage Moth II (Hand-Painted, Gold Luster, Vintage Imagery) Porcelain, Glaze, Overglaze, Chinapaints, 24k German Gold Luster Year: 2025 Size: 4.5 x 6 x 0.5 inches Si...

Corpus Christi. Burgundy 13th century. Crowned Christ from the borderlands between northern Burgundy and southern Champagne, dating from the last third of the 13th century. Carved in polychromed and gilded walnut, this Christ preserves significant traces of its original polychromy and gilding. On the torso, particularly on the ribs, the flesh tones are still clearly visible, as are the gilded areas on the perizonium and on the crown. This Corpus Christi, of striking presence, perfectly illustrates the Rayonnant Gothic style with reminiscences of Classic Gothic, notably in its representation of Christ the King. The anatomy of Christ is characterised by a language that is both graphic and sensitive, typical of workshops working in the orbit of the great northern building sites. The ribcage with its prominent ribs derives from an archaic stylisation intended to underline the emaciation of the crucified body, while the suppleness of the abdomen, slightly distended, bears witness to a new naturalistic observation. The head, tilted towards the right shoulder, breaks with the axial rigidity of earlier periods. Crowned with a royal crown, of which the bases of the fleurons are still preserved, the face retains an expression of peaceful interiority, far removed from the expressionist renderings that would mark the 14th century. The long perizonium is tied relatively high on the hips and unfolds in a complex lateral fall over the left hip, creating a dynamic imbalance. The sculptor has carved the material with great virtuosity, organising the drapery into deep undulations and folds that catch the light. This treatment of volume, heir to the early-13th-century Muldenfaltenstil, achieves a synthesis between the elegance of Parisian ivories and the robustness of Burgundian sculpture. This sculpture may be compared with the Corpus Christi in the Rijksmuseum, dated to around 1260 (see below), and also with the ivory Christ...

This elegant alabaster sculpture from the Oriental School depicts a fantastical creature, blending real and mythical elements in a display of artistic imagination. The luminous alaba...

18th Century Italian Carved Neoclassical Semi Nude Female Busts Wood affixed to wood plinths "Leone Della Torra / Italy Country of Origin" labels on b...

Coppia di medaglioni in marmo raffiguranti i profili dei papi Gregorio VIII e Leone IX. Italia, bottega romana, fine XVII-inizi XVIII secolo. Gregorio VIII, nato Alberto di Morra ...

Magnificent and Monumental 16th Century Renaissance Carved Oak Bust of Christ, Flemish Netherlandish, C. 1550 A powerful and deeply expressive Renaissance carved oak bust of Jesus C...

Italian sculptor (17th–18th century) - Praying Madonna. 25 x 20 x h 65 cm. Full-round figure in carved, lacquered and painted wood. The sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary in a pra...

Pair of large terracotta sculptures depicting a scene with two villagers, France, Paris workshop, second half of the 17th century. In the 17th century, Italy, and to a lesser ext...

(MADE TO ORDER) (Sabbath, Kiddush, Unique, Gold Luster) *Lead Time may vary between 1-3 weeks Melanie Sherman "Just A Little Tipsy" Year: 2021 Porcelai...

16th-century Florentine sculptor, greyhound in pietra serena. This fascinating sculpture, which has come down to us in a fragmentary state, depicts a dog, an elegant greyhound crouch...

Large Virgin and Child in carved wood, carved back. Sitting on a throne bench, Mary carries Christ seated on her left knee. The Virgin has a face with stylized features with semicircular eyebrow arches, almond-shaped eyes with protruding eyeballs. Marie is wearing a belted dress with a simple neckline and a coat with a flap that goes back to the front. Tiny traces of polychromy. Romanesque influences are still present. With her protruding eyes, she can also be compared to the statuary of Lake Constance. Our Virgin, rare for its size, nevertheless presents strong analogies with the Italian Sedes Sapientiae...

High relief panel depicting 'Saint Barbara' Southern France, 16th-17th century Polychrome carved wood with traces of gilding 64 x 32 cm. (good condition, with minor missing and cra...

Melanie Sherman Hand-decorated Tea Bowl / Yunomi (Gold Luster, Rich, Floral, Fine China, Precious) Porcelain, 24K German Gold Luster, Glaze, Underglaze, China Paints, Vintage Transfe...

Madonna, Mary Mother of God South Germany, circa 1760 Linden wood, painted Dimensions: 69 x 32 x 21 cm Painting damaged in places Authenticity guaranteed in writing

Sensitively carved, solid marble bust of a young boy mounted on a custom, Lucite base. Carved fully in the round, though originally the figure was pa...

This antique wood carving depicts the Resurrected Christ in a triumphant, Baroque-style pose. Crafted in polychrome wood with remnants of original paint and gilding, the figure holds...

Oak Corpus Christi with polychromed leftovers, Flemish School.

Pair of Baroque putti from the 1600s, carved and lacquered wood, typical of Italian Baroque religious art. They are two figures of angels with plump figures, rosy cheeks, and curly ...

A classic terra cotta sculpture of Mercury signed Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (1714-1785).

Large catalan Virgin of the Annunciation in polychrome wood. Our Virgin is represented in the phase of the Conturbatio, Mary expresses her amazement a...

Rare Vierge à l'Enfant en bois polychrome de tradition romane, région du Fenouillèdes, représentant une Virgo Lactans. Avant cette découverte, seules 3 vierges allaitantes médiévales...

Large romanesque statue of Saint Lucy of Syracuse is dated from the 12th century. The saint is represented veiled and diademed, she wears a long dress, with an important tie. Stone s...

Saint Christopher with the Christ Child, Spain, late 16th – early 17th C Polychromed and partially gilded wood. The sculpture represents Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child ...

Antique carving of a saint or martyr. 17th century Flemish hardwood carving. Wonderful wear and rich color.

Grande Vierge à l'Enfant en chêne de la fin du 13ème siècle ou début du 14ème siècle. La plastique des visages et du Christ évoque le 13ème siècle (le visage de la Vierge évoque le visage de la Sedes Sapientiae...

St. Joseph with Child in Terracotta beautiful example of Bolognese plastic from the 1700s, circle of Angelo Gabriello Piò (Bologna 1690 - 1770). Modeled as a full-length figure, th...

This beautiful polychrome and highly expressive statue 18th C statue represents Mary Magdalene in prayer, hands joined, eyes raised to the sky.It's of German origin

Antique, hand-carved statue of a man with traces of silver gilding.

Pair of Angels, Tuscan Sculptures with Cornucopias from the 1600s hand-carved from stone pine wood, lacquered and gilded from Central Italy, from a private villa in Siena; they are...

Saint Erasmus or Saint Elmo (Antioch, ca. 240 – Formia, 303) was an Italian bishop and patron saint of the sailors. His attribute was the capstan, a winch on which the anchor chains were rolled up. He died as a martyr for his faith, and his bones were transferred to Gaeta in the 9th century, where they are kept in the cathedral to this day. The electric phenomenon of Saint Elmus fire is named after Saint Erasmus and the 16th C humanist Desiderius Erasmus. Little is known with certainty about Saint Erasmus' life. However, many legends may have been passed on orally until - no older writings are known with certainty. His birthplace was in present-day Syria. However, the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian forced him to flee to Mount Lebanon...

Small marble head representing a bearded man in profile, an apostle or a prophet. This sculpture comes from the Joseph Altounian collection dispersed...

This 17th-century bronze sculpture, likely hailing from southern Germany, depicts a scene of life-and-death struggle in nature — a hapless hare caught in the claws of a mighty panthe...

Hand-carved and painted, polychrome, Roman Santos figure in mid-stride. The figure wears stylized, flowing robes and stands atop a period base.

Pilgrim or saint Jacques figure in sculpted and polychromed limestone. He holds a calabash in his left hand. He probably held the pilgrim's staff in his missing right hand. Very beau...

An iconic, hand carved, gessoed, painted, and parcel-gilt, Italian polychrome sculpture of tousle curled angel in windswept drapery. Beautiful expression and patina. Now mounted on a...

Provenance: Private Collection, Spain. Known as Peruvian alabaster for its translucency and workability, Piedra de Huamanga is a highly prized material from the province of Ayacucho in Peru. In the 17th and 18th centuries, local craftsman in the town of Huamanga began to specialize in the production of small-scale, polychrome religious sculptures made from this distinctive stone. Huamanga sculptures are among the most accomplished examples of carving from the Spanish Americas, where polychrome wood sculpture was a far more common sculptural medium. These works, which were created as independent sculptures or as sculptural groups—such as our three Magi—were intended for ecclesiastical as well as domestics settings. Our three figures likely formed part of a larger Nativity group—a New World variant of the tradition of the Neapolitan Crèche...

Questa statua in terracotta in eccellente stato conservativo considerata l'età e la fragilità del materiale, raffigura un putto nell'atto di soffiare, colto in una posa di intenso p...

One flame candle holder putto made of gilded wood. Those kind of objects were present in churches or noble villas, specially during the Baroque times. The base is not coeval.

This amusing naturalistic sculpture in silver-plated pewter was probably made in the 17th century by Georg Schweigger. Inspired by a model created by another Nuremberg sculptor, Peter Flötner, it bears witness to the persistence during the baroque era of the naturalistic taste that emerged in the Renaissance. Intended as an ornament for some Kunstkammer, or cabinet of curiosities, this sculpture was a great success, as can be seen from the presence of similar works in many European museums. 1. Georg Schweigger Georg Schweigger was a baroque sculptor and medal founder from Nuremberg, known mainly for his small-scale works in stone, carved wood and cast metal. His only large-scale work, the Neptune Fountain, has been in the Petershof Palace, the summer residence of the Tsars near St. Petersburg, since 1797. This monumental sculpture demonstrates his taste for the representation of movement, which we find in this small piece, inspired, as we shall see, by earlier models. 2. The success of a naturalistic theme As is often the case in the history of art, the source of the Dog scratching his ear theme probably comes from an engraving, and more precisely from one made in Strasbourg in 1480 or in Aschaffenburg in 1481 by the Master of the Housebook, an anonymous engraver working in southern Germany at the end of the 15th century. This engraving seems to have been Peter Flötner’s (1490 - 1546) source of inspiration. Peter Flötner was a sculptor and engraver who settled in Nuremberg in 1522. The Louvre Museum also has a gilded lead statuette dated between 1500 and 1515 (on deposit at the Musée de L'Œuvre in Strasbourg), which in turn is thought to have served as a model for other known statuettes. This model was later taken up by the Frenchman Barthélemy Prieur...

Although the 18th century, the period of the Enlightenment in France, spawned thinkers who criticized the privileges of the clergy and the truthfulness of certain dogmas, the Roman Catholic faith was very much present in everyday life. Since king Louis XIV had issued the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685, Protestantism was banned from the country. This Madonna with child illustrates the daily practice of faith. Like many 18th-century Madonna statues...

This limestone bust of the Buddha presents a picture of serenity and grace. A rare and striking image, it was sculpted in 6th-century Northern China during the Qi dynasty...

MUSEUM SCULPTURE Master workshop Hans Klocker before 1474, possibly in Gais - After 1500 "CRESCENT MOON" Around 1480/90 Stone pine wood carved Original version Height 77 cm This ext...

MADONNA Il DE FRANCE/PARIS Around 1270 Oak wood carved Height 79cm

Contact Modern Art Etc to inquire availability and price Modern Art Etc presents internationally noted and rising Chinese star, Xie Ai Ge (b.1977). X...