An Unusual & Finely Carved 19thC Marble Sculpture of a Baby

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Origin: English
Period: Victorian
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1870-90
Height: 18.5 inches
Width: 13.5 inches
Length: 19.5 inches

The wonderfully fashioned and generously sized Victorian period marble carving in the form of a seated baby with a smiling expression and outstretched arms on a shaped naturalistic base.

The condition of the whole is pleasing with a good even spread of weathering commensurate with exposure to the elements giving the sculpture an evocative all round character and colour with some lichen growth in the crevices. The marble could be cleaned extensively in its entirety though we wouldn’t recommend it with the patination and character most agreeable. The carving is naturally heavy so would need to be situated on the ground or on a very stable surface. There are no chips or cracks to the piece.

The infant depicted, around one to two years old, clearly has a happy disposition and the facial features are exceptionally well carved, giving an immediate sense of the baby’s cheerful character, as are the limbs, fingers and toes; the proportions as a whole are splendid and the sculptor was clearly exceptionally talented. The carving has some similarity with Gilbert Bayes (1872-1953) white marble sculpture of a water baby, which derived from Doulton stoneware, though it is only a passing similarity.

An unusual and unique sculpture that has as much quality in its execution as it does in its inescapable whimsy.
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