Terracotta Busts of Arabs attributed to Goldscheider, Austria, 1800s

Details

Description

MEASUREMENTS:
Man: Height: 26.2 cm; Width: 17 cm; Depth: 10.5 cm;
Woman: Height: 27.5 cm; Width: 16.5 cm; Depth: 10.5 … Read more MEASUREMENTS:
Man: Height: 26.2 cm; Width: 17 cm; Depth: 10.5 cm;
Woman: Height: 27.5 cm; Width: 16.5 cm; Depth: 10.5 cm;
Total weight: approx. 2.09 kg

Description of the item:
A wonderful pair of glazed and polychrome terracotta sculptures, entirely decorated by hand, depicting two busts of Arabs wearing turbans, made towards the end of the 19th century. The wonderful patina covering the pair, especially under the base, confirms our dating. The two busts are unsigned, although the inside of the base has been painted black, so it is likely that the manufacturer's mark has been covered by the paint. In our opinion, the two sculptures can easily be attributed to the Austrian manufacturer Goldscheider, famous for producing similar Orientalist works in terracotta, especially in the late 19th century, the same period as our two sculptures. Under the base of one of the two busts is a label from an auction in which the pair participated. Of the highest artistic quality, the pair is truly beautiful and meticulously detailed. Note the beauty of the extremely expressive faces, the clothing, the embossed necklace, and the turbans.

Useful information for evaluating the item:
Our research shows that similar Orientalist busts by Goldscheider have fetched auction prices ranging from €4,000 to over €6,000, to which auction fees of 25-30% must be added. To get an idea of the importance of this Austrian manufacturer, consider that, again according to our research, we have found that for Goldscheider's larger full-length Orientalist sculptures, the four highest results achieved are well over €23,000, €17,000, €13,000, and €11,000, excluding auction fees of 25-30%.

Information about the artist and/or manufacturer:
The Austrian manufacturer Goldscheider was founded in 1885 by the famous entrepreneur and artist Friedrich Goldscheider and remained active until 1954. This manufacturer is considered one of the most important ceramics and terracotta manufacturers in Europe in the late 1800s and early 1900s, collaborating with the most important sculptors and ceramists of the time, such as Lorenzl, Dakon, Knorlein, Meisinger, Goebel, Cherc, Rosè, and many others.


This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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