Figural Antiques
Cannot say exactly why, but I have always loved antiques that feature the human figure, so I am drawn to busts, heads, full figures, you name it, I love it! Part of the reason that antique dealers become dealers is that they simply accumulate too much stuff, and I have done that with figural antiques, among other things...
I buy them for myself even if they have small defects, heads glued back on, missing fingers, etc. We all have our little imperfections, don't we? But we are still lovable. I have a huge porcelain statue of a lady with cheetah--most of her arm and a foot are missing, but I simply drape her arm and foot with a scarf and enjoy her completely. Someday I might get her repaired, but I love her just as she is.
I enjoyed seeing all the repro plaster-caster statues at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas recently, but was intrigued to find these two real marble statues tucked into a rather nondescript area between a Buddhist temple and an ice cream shop. Go figure!
They were unmarked, surrounded by flowers, yes, but strange to have real marble statues that seemed to be forgotten by the casino, perhaps, amidst all the oversized
repros that abound around the casino area.
The statue with the reclining older man reminded me of Socrates, but I have no idea if that is who it was supposed to be. The discus thrower remains ready to throw, always showing perfect form, waiting for his opportunity. I wonder what the story is behind these two marble statues, somehow forgotten in the midst of the big noisy city.
If you like figural antiques, too, I have a rare porcelain bust of bad boy composer Richard Wagner on my etsy site right now; go have a look.
Have you been to the Rodin Museum in Paris? I have a feeling you'd love it there.
ReplyDeleteI would love to visit it, Leandra!
ReplyDelete