Sculpture, Carvings & Other
Browse our stock of antique sculpture and carvings including a wide range of busts, stone sculpture, plaques and key stones in a range of materials like stone, wood, cast iron and terracotta.
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Stock: 14383
An antique carved beech wood plaque depicting the Coat of Arms of the City of Manchester which was granted to the City in 1842. The City's motto is inscribed on the plaque and reads "Concilio et Labore" which loosely translated means "Wisdom and Effort".
The Coat of Arms depicts the Heraldic Antelope with its chain, a symbol of peace and harmony, extreme courage and discipline also representing the engineering industries; and the Heraldic Lion a symbol of bravery and strength, his crown, a castle is a reference to the ancient Roman fort of Castlefield. Each wears the Red Rose of Lancaster on their shoulders. They flank a central cabuchon depicting a ship representing the trading relationships of Manchester, and a globe covered in bees which in heraldic terms is a symbol of efficient industry. To this day the bee is often used as a shorthand emblem of Manchester.
English, late 19th century.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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width |
height |
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28 11⁄16"
73 cms |
11 1⁄4"
28.8 cms |
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Stock: 12333
A pair of small very well carved onyx lions passant very much in the Medeci tradition. Onyx is a banded variety of chalcedony of which agate is the most popular type.
Possibly Italian early to mid twentieth century.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Width |
Height |
Length |
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9 13⁄16"
25 cms |
18 7⁄8"
48 cms |
28 1⁄4"
72 cms |
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Stock: 13742
A grand and finely modelled life size bronze figure of a prowling tiger.
Powerful and Regal.
Probably 20th Century Japanese.
Weight: 90kg
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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length |
height |
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77 3⁄16"
196 cms |
26 5⁄8"
67.5 cms |
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Stock: 12724
A beautifully carved alabaster group in the manner of Cesare Lapini (1848 - 1890) an Italian sculptor mainly active in 19th century Florence. A maiden, representing Flora the Roman Goddess of Flowers has a child playing at her feet and both are wearing garlands of roses and clasping flowers.
Italian School 19th century.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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width |
height |
depth |
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10 5⁄8"
27 cms |
32 11⁄16"
83 cms |
9 13⁄16"
25 cms |
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Stock: 13391
A very fine life size marble bust, mounted on a composition coadestone base, of a Greek/Roman philosopher, most probably Plato or perhaps Socrates. Originally from a property in County Durham.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Width |
Height |
Depth |
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11 13⁄16"
30 cms |
24"
61 cms |
9 3⁄8"
24 cms |
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Stock: 13526
A rare Bronze Fountain Group attributed to David Rawnsley (1909- 1977).
Sculptor, Painter, Ceramicist, Film Art Director & Production Designer.
A delightful, unique and beautifully sculpted Fountain of an entwined Mermaid & Merboy resting on rocks by the sea, both are twin tailed. The Merboy holds a large fish from whose mouth a water spout falls into the clam shell beneath. There is another water spout emanating from the abalone shell held above his head. The Mermaid is holding the clam shell in which lies a large starfish. A crab, a lobster and an octopus are climbing the rock beneath and nearby are limpets and coral.
Mermaids & Merboys are legendary figures appearing throughout the centuries in the folklore of many cultures and traditionally could symbolise either danger or good fortune. This pair are of course beneficent. English, circa 1960.
Notes: David Rawnsley was in his own words 'a jack of all trades'. Initially trained as an architect and engineer he entered the film industry in his early twenties as an art director & production designer. Film credits include: 49th Parallel, One of Our Aircraft is Missing, They Flew Alone and In Which We Serve. In the 40's and 50's he started up a series of potteries. The first in Paris was followed by the famous Chelsea Pottery in London in 1952 and later by one in the Bahamas and another in Mexico. His sister Una Hanbury (1904 – 1990) was a renowned Washington sculptor of horses and Rawnsley himself became an acknowledged artist and sculptor. His parents had settled the Rawnsley family on the Isle of Capri in the 1920's and in later years he set up a studio there. During a short visit in 1977 he died of a heart attack and he is buried on the Island. One of his last bronze sculptures, that of a young maiden made in 1972, is mounted on his grave.
Link to: Antique, old vintage fountains, sculptures, garden furniture and statuary
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Width |
Height |
Depth |
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28"
71 cms |
69 1⁄2"
176.5 cms |
25 5⁄8"
65 cms |
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Stock: 11480
A well carved white Statuary marble maiden musician seated on a rock dressed in simple 18th century garb playing a guitar with her attentive, adoring tousle-haired dog lying beside her.
French / Italian, 19th century.
NOTES : The Latin guitar developed from the Cithara and the Oud. The Moorish Oud retained the rounded back, multiple sound holes and wide fingerboard of the oud. The Latin guitar, on the other hand, had a more narrow neck, a flat back and one sound hole. Despite having only four strings, the Latin guitar of the 11th century is clearly the predecessor of the modern guitar, which preceded the Mandolin,developed later in Italy
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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width |
height |
depth |
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33 1⁄8"
84 cms |
40 3⁄16"
102 cms |
22"
56 cms |
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Stock: 11022
A large antique terracotta campana urn, possibly by Blashfield, decorated in the Greek Revival manner after Bertel Thorvaldsen and Thomas Hope. Frieze features under the anthemion motif beneath the rim show various figures of flower and fruit maidens, minstrels and an angel typical of Ancient Greek inspiration, the handles are butted by the heads of river deities. English, early 19th century.
Notes: Although not stamped the texture of the clay & the design is very similar to the work produced by J M Blashfield." There was an identical urn sold at a Sotheby's Sale on 21 Sept 1999.
Weight: 110 kg.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Diameter |
Height |
Base W & H |
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30 1⁄4"
77 cms |
41 1⁄4"
105 cms |
15 3⁄16"
38.5 cms |
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Stock: 12789
A carved marble Victorian figure of a girl of a girl with hand raised and head lowered leaning on a tree stump, on a circular base and associated eight sided plinth. English, 19th century
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Width |
Height |
Depth |
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11"
28 cms |
39 13⁄16"
101 cms |
11"
28 cms |
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Stock: 12831
A 17th century Italian near life size white statuary marble sculpture head and wings of an angel carved in the Baroque manner of BERNINI, the 17th century Italian Sculptor, with the initials CB on the back of a wing. Italian, 17th century.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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width |
height |
deoth |
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13 5⁄8"
34.5 cms |
14 3⁄16"
36 cms |
7 7⁄8"
20 cms |
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Stock: 12809
British Coat of Arms of the Royal Family in painted aluminium.English, circa 1920.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Width |
Height |
Depth |
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23 3⁄16"
59 cms |
31 1⁄8"
79 cms |
3 1⁄2"
9 cms |
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Stock: 10992
A finely carved Italian pair of walnut caryatids in the Baroque manner showing a boy and a girl symbolising Summer and Autumn, the girl with a garland of flowers symbolising Spring, the boy with vine leaves and grapes entwined with bullrushes symbolising Autumn harvest. Italian, 19th century.
Link to: decorative antiques and furnishings
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width |
height |
depth |
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3 7⁄8"
10 cms |
25 5⁄8"
65 cms |
4 1⁄4"
11 cms |
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Stock: 12632
An impressive richly carved Arts and Crafts oak eagle lectern standing on an ornately carved pedestal in the Neo Gothic manner. English, mid 19th century.
Link to: decorative antiques and furnishings
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width |
height |
depth |
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28 1⁄4"
72 cms |
62 3⁄16"
158 cms |
22 13⁄16"
58 cms |
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Stock: 7605
A pair of unusual Art Deco terracotta stylised eagle wall lights in the manner of Salvador Dali.
Italian or Spanish, circa 1930.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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width |
height |
depth |
| left figure |
14"
35.6 cms |
19 1⁄2"
49.5 cms |
9 13⁄16"
24.8 cms |
| right figure |
13"
33 cms |
18"
45.7 cms |
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Stock: 11742
A pair of life size busts in the Italian Renaissance manner of a nobleman and his lady in white terracotta stoneware. Images before restoration and cleaning.
English, 19th Century.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Width |
height |
depth |
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16 1⁄8"
41 cms |
29 1⁄8"
74 cms |
15"
38 cms |
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Stock: 11846
A very fine pair of intricately carved oak high ranking, perhaps Royal, robed and fearsome medieval warrior figures, helmeted, heavily armed, armoured & crowned, possibly crusaders, each wearing monogramed armour, one with a fleur-de-lys on his breastplate, the other a roaring lion & each carring a shield, a sword and baton.English, 19th century. Shown with pair of wall socles, SNo 9612 also 19th century.
Link to: decorative antiques and furnishings
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width |
height |
depth |
| Figure 1 |
13 13⁄16"
35 cms |
33 1⁄2"
85 cms |
11 3⁄8"
29 cms |
| Figure 2 |
15 3⁄8"
39 cms |
12 3⁄8"
31.5 cms |
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Stock: 11921
" THE ASCENT OF MAN "...A monumental elaborately carved stele representing creatures trhough the evolution of the earth's species. In ivory toned English alabaster, built in five sections and profusely carved in high and low relief depicting quite accurately primeval vegetation, sea-dwelling life forms, ammonites & nautilus. Further images showing extinct vertebrates, marine reptiles & shoals of fish. Main features being A Woolly Mammoth..originating in the Pliocene epoch 4.8 million years ago... a Pterodactyl...65 million years ago and so on... a giant Toad & Iguanadons. The tapering circular shaft with carved acanthus leaves said to represent the intervening evolutionary stages to the present represented by the upper section carved with three figural groups of man and woman standing on the capital of the column, supporting a crown. Designer : Phillp C Thicknesse, late 19th century who also designed the designed the zoology building at Liverpool University. English, Circa 1880.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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height approx |
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115"
292 cms |
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Stock: 11767
A LARGE CAST IRON FIGURE OF A RECUMBENT MUSE in the Greek manner, sitting on a foliate chased rock, signed Chatrousse, Émile François Chatrousse, French sculptor (1829-1896). Many of his works, including Joan of Arc, are displayed in Parisian Public institutions such as The Tuilleries and the Hotel de Ville.
WEIGHT: 285kg
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Width |
height |
Depth |
| Max. External Base. |
36 5⁄8"
93 cms |
52"
132 cms |
34 1⁄4"
87 cms |
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Stock: 9320
A Fine pair of high relief carved walnut plaques depicting an officer of the Light Cavalry of the Kings Own Hussars, a British 19th century regiment ...and a Bugler of the same regiment. Both are mounted on chargers, the officer with regimental symbols on the saddle cloth. England 19th century.
TENNYSON : " Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward.........
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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width |
height |
depth |
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12"
30.5 cms |
18 1⁄8"
45.9 cms |
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Stock: 9036
A Pre Raphaelite marble statuette of Shakespeare's tragic heroine Ophelia, lover of Hamlet. This interpretation somewhat reminiscent of the painting by Arthur Hughes in 1863. Her hands are full of dripping river weeds symbolising her death by drowning after she had been driven mad with grief at the discovery that her father had been mistakenly murdered by Hamlet.
"OPHELIA" is carved into the rectangular base.
English, circa 1890. ( photo before restoration ).
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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width |
height |
depth |
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9 1⁄8"
23 cms |
29 1⁄2"
75 cms |
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Stock: 10664
A stoneware figure of a Crowned Sentinel Lion in the Baroque manner, seated holding a shield bearing the Royal Coat of Arms to his chest, on a cylindrical base.English,19th Century.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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width |
height |
depth |
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15"
38 cms |
41 1⁄4"
105 cms |
18 1⁄2"
47 cms |
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Stock: 10762
A pair of heavy cast bronze Eagles purportedly from a Midlands branch of Barclays Bank. English,1930's.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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width |
height |
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17 11⁄16"
45 cms |
20 1⁄2"
52 cms |
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Stock: 10068
An Italian mid to late 19th Century marble figure
of a child holding a nest of fledgling Sparrows, signed R Galli, Milano.
A sculptor Galli was at the Milan Academy of Art in the 1840s.
Image before restoration, cleaning and polishing. Italian, late 19th century.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Stock: 8353
A walnut bracket carved in high relief in the Renaissance manner with three female deities supporting a semicircular plinth carved with Greek Key design. 19th, century.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Width |
Height |
Depth |
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9 1⁄2"
24.2 cms |
13"
33 cms |
6 1⁄4"
16 cms |
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Stock: 8190
A cast-iron bust of the head of Laocoon, a Trojan Priest at the time of the Trojan Wars who warned the Trojans about the Trojan Horse and died along with his two sons when the Gods, who favoured the Greeks, sent two sea serpents to kill him. After the original sculpture which was one of the major discoveries of the Italian Renaissance, found in Rome in 1506 in the ruins of Titus' palace( Shown on plinth 8172 ).
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Width |
Height |
Depth |
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14 3⁄16"
36 cms |
23 5⁄8"
60 cms |
10 3⁄16"
26 cms |
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Stock: 8088
An 18th century giltwood shelf with coathooks. The moulded underside carved with acanthus leaves & a band of nulling enhanced with black paintwork defining the recesses with a row of nine scrolling acanthus corbels alternated with rosettes in black sunken panels below and nine coat hooks with open cast mounts.
Italian, 18th century with later modifications.
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Width |
Height |
Depth |
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78 11⁄16"
200 cms |
6 1⁄4"
16 cms |
5 11⁄16"
14.5 cms |
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Stock: 7263
A finely sculpted marble bust in Statuary marble of a prominent Edwardian, seated on a Sienna marble base.
Signed: A. Drury, Royal Academy, 1916.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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width |
height |
depth |
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20"
50.8 cms |
29 1⁄2"
74.9 cms |
13"
33 cms |
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Stock: 7195
A set of life size carved wood ecclesiastical figures with excellent oil painted detail inset with coloured glass cabuchons.
South German, circa 1890, (photo before restoration).
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Height |
Width |
Depth |
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72"
182.9 cms |
22"
55.9 cms |
20"
50.8 cms |
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Stock: 7133
An Egyptian head on a round base, probably of a Ptolemic Pharoah, 3rd century BC. A plaster replica made by the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
Circa 1920.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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Width |
Height |
Depth |
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8 11⁄16"
22.2 cms |
20"
50.8 cms |
10 11⁄16"
27.1 cms |
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Stock: 4616
A French terracotta of a river-god, crowned with a bullrush and wearing drapery around his waist, sitting on rocks, an overturned jar issuing water at his feet on an integral round plinth.
Late 19th century.
Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets
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width |
height |
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13 11⁄16"
34.9 cms |
23 1⁄4"
59.1 cms |
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Antique sculptures
Antique sculptures conjure the vision of ancient civilisations, the classical marble statues of Ancient Greece and Rome - harmonious and idealised - but they are varied in both their materials and their styles.
Antique bronze sculptures
Many ancient statues were copied by sculptors in the 18th century to sell as souvenirs for Grand Tourists. Antique bronze sculptures were popular, which may have been inspired by Greek sculptures that were cast in bronze and only later copied by the Romans in marble. Antique sculptures of this period were predominantly figurative and often represented these classical subjects.
Antique bronze sculptures also enjoyed a great revival in the Renaissance period, in Italy and France especially, the most renowned sculptor of this period being Cellini. His remarkable figurative work inspired many later sculptors to move away from classical poses and create works that were more flamboyant and dynamic. Antique bronze sculptures come in a range of sizes, so suit a variety of positions, whether a small occasional table, a plinth or a mantelpiece.
Antique marble statues
Marble statues enjoyed popularity from antiquity to the present day, from their beginnings as polychromed statues of the deities, they evolved to embody the elegance of many ages, immortalising Kings and Queens, Gods and Goddesses. The beauty of antique marble sculptures is often the way the marble has been selected to represent the form, where the veins of the stone are utilised to emphasise the curves of a body or a natural form. Marble also absorbs light, giving the statue an almost lifelike glow in a way that stone statues of the same subject can’t.
Antique wood carvings
In Europe, antique wood carvings were most commonly found in ecclesiastic settings during the medieval period, but eventually became desirable in private homes. Antique oak carvings from the Victorian period were often inspired by these medieval, 16th and 17th century carvings, and decorative adornments were added over doorways, on ceilings, staircases and wall brackets. Antique wood carvings and sculpture were sometimes polychromed, or painted, to give the carving a lifelike quality.
If you are looking for antique sculptures, London is without doubt a great place to look. From the inspiration of our great galleries and museums, to our showroom, the Capital offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of sculpture and carving.