Large Life Size Male Busts, 1980s, Plaster, Set of 2

Details

Description

What an incredible find! unearthed from storage of the late estate of a 95 year old gentleman this pair of … Read more What an incredible find! unearthed from storage of the late estate of a 95 year old gentleman this pair of impressive solid plaster busts reveals the work of an incredibly talented sculptor.

the busts are slightly larger scale than life-size and depict two very different yet aesthetically striking men. Bust no.1 (to the left of the initial image) portrays a man with a thick set jaw, atypical afro caribbean features and thick nape-length hair. His gaze is mesmerising and evokes feelings of a strong and proud man. He has been painted with a bronze-effect finish.

bust no.2 (to the right of the initial image) is very androgynous in appearance, to the point where i was unsure how i was to describe them. With softer, more european facial features, a fabulous pout and back-combed hair echoing the age of the punk/glam rock and new romantics eras. This piece is finished in a silver/grey stone-effect tone with a light bronze patination to the face.

both the sculptor and the subjects are (as yet) unknown. They may have possibly been the work of two separate sculptors. A close inspection revealed no signatures or monograms on the main busts nor to the undersides.

these pieces are considerably heavy (individual measurements and weights detailed below) and i am in awe they have remained in such good condition. Condition-wise, the most noticeable damage is a repaired break to the base on the left hand side of bust no.2. The corner has, at some point broken off along a natural fault line depicted from the underside. This has been glued back on although unfortunately, a fragment remains missing at the back of the piece. Please see images for a close up of the front and reverse of this repair.

otherwise, there are minor chips to the paintwork on both busts as detailed in the images.

grade: great

measurements
bust no.1
h: 32cm
w: 32cm
d: 25cm
weight - 11.2kg

bust no.2
h: 38cm
w: 28cm
d: 26cm
weight - 13.3kg See less