Vintage Alva Studios Pair of French Neoclassical Child Bust Sculptures, Met Museum Reproductions

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A handsome and dramatic pair of vintage Alva Studios authentic reproduction child busts, produced as museum-inspired decorative sculpture and labeled … Read more A handsome and dramatic pair of vintage Alva Studios authentic reproduction child busts, produced as museum-inspired decorative sculpture and labeled as reproductions of originals at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

These expressive dark-finished busts portray two children in a refined French Neoclassical / classical revival manner. With their softly modeled faces, period hair, and architectural pedestal bases, they have the look of 18th-century European portrait sculpture and are strongly evocative of the work of French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. They are offered as Houdon-style or Houdon-inspired decorative museum reproductions and are not represented as exact copies of a named original sculpture.

Busts retain their original underside museum labels reading: “Reproduction of an Original at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.” One additionally retains the gold-and-black label: “Authentic Reproductions Copyrighted by Alva Studios, New York, N.Y.” One piece appears to bear a molded or incised signature "Lulamand"; refer to photo.

Crafted of Alvastone, Alva Studios’ proprietary high-density casting material, with a dark glossy black / bronze-tone finish. Alva Studios examples are regularly identified as Alvastone, a high-density casting material used to capture sculptural detail; a period Alva child bust is specifically described as Alvastone with a bronze-paint overlay.

Alva Studios, founded in 1948 by Alfred Wolkenberg, produced museum-quality decorative reproductions for collectors and interiors. This pair makes an impressive statement on a mantel, bookcase, console, sideboard, desk, or pedestal, and suits French country, traditional, classical, Empire, Hollywood Regency, eclectic, and historic-home interiors. See less