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Pair of Orientalist Busts*
Item Description
Very fine pair of terracotta busts of a North African couple, a man and a woman, unsigned but almost certainly by Johann Maresch.
Dating from around the 1880’s – 1890’s they are in typical Maresch style and have obviously been very well looked after.
Both subjects have strong faces which have been sculpted to portray their character so well. He, with his salt-and-pepper hair, beard and moustache, is looking proudly ahead while the lady is looking very slightly to her right. With their heads held high and their serious expressions, the pride in their ancestry and tradition is obvious.
Great detail to the clothes and headwear – and the lady’s necklace, which is so typical of the ornate jewellery worn by people from these regions.
To find a matching pair like this is unusual these days as over time it is common that one or the other has been damaged or lost. The busts are marked with consecutive numbers but are unsigned. However, we are sure they are by Maresch as they are so typical of his work.
The male figure has a height of approximately 37 cm and the female is just a touch over 36 cm.