Pair of Antique Red Stoneware Sphinxes, Felix Austin, 1833

This charming pair of French terracotta statues depicts a male and female musician and was made during the latter half of the 1800s. Both statues have been stamped “GOSSIN PARIS” on the back sides. The Gossin factory in Paris was led by two brothers, Etienne (died in 1900) and Louis (1846-1928). The brothers regularly showed their wares at the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, the Salon de Paris, where they would often bring home medals for outstanding quality works. They were very well known for their ornamental terra cotta fabrications which were exhibited all-over the country, where they also took home various medals. Both of these statues represent musicians siting upon rocky bases decorated with flowers, and our male musician has been depicted holding a “musette de cour”, which is a relative of the bagpipe. The female musician can be seen with a “vielle à roue” in her lap. A vielle à roue is a string instrument that produces sound when a crank is turned. The crank rotates a wheel that rubs against the strings. The sound can be compared to that of a violin. Place this elegant pair of 19th century terracotta musician statues...

This is a 19th century French reconstituted stone lion statue lying down on a rectangular base. The sculptor who did the original of this statue has...

An imposing piece of English art dating to the 1700s, this lion statue consists of three pieces of terra cotta with an ochre finish. A “shield bearer”, the sejant (seated) lion has i...

Recently salvaged from an important French building in the Lyon area, this pair of balcony corbels are from the Napoleon III period (sometimes called Second Empire style). Each corbel was hand-carved in pierre de villebois stone, which is a very hard limestone used...