Archibald Knox Gold Pendant for Liberty
Gold pendant with an openwork entrelac design from the drawing board of Archibald Knox and dating from circa 1905. Set with a central blister pearl drop and with a turquoise matrix lower drop, this pendant…
‘Lady on The Seine’ by Dietz Edzard*
Ornately framed oil on canvas by the German born artist Dietz Edzard (1893-1963). This is an atmospheric half length portrait of an elegantly dressed young woman taking refreshment whilst seated on a verandah raised above…
Loetz ‘Candia’ Vase with Silver Overlay
Little cabinet vase from Loetz in opaque ‘Candia’ glass with a trefoil rim, further decorated with an applied Art Nouveau ‘Silberiris’ design in pure silver. Loetz collaborated with a company in the US known as…
WMF Flower Dish
Pewter flower dish from WMF with the original green cut glass removable liner. So Art Nouveau, with its flowing outline, featuring an openwork whiplash design framing leaves and berries of ivy. Originally electro-plated but most…
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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.