Italian Patinated Plaster Child Bust on Marble Plinth by Buonamici, 1950s

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Cast in plaster with a dark, bronze-toned patination, this sculpture captures the head and shoulders of a young child in … Read more Cast in plaster with a dark, bronze-toned patination, this sculpture captures the head and shoulders of a young child in a realistic manner. The subject is rendered with gentle facial features, rounded cheeks, parted lips and deeply textured curls falling naturally across the crown and temples. A softly draped swathe of fabric wraps across the chest, creating a gentle curve that complements the subtle turn of the head. The bust is mounted directly onto a solid, polished black marble plinth cut in a clean rectangular shape. The substantial mass of the marble base provides solid footing and physical stability for the cast figure, while its straight edges offer a crisp architectural contrast to the fluid, rounded contours of the child's face and shoulders. Inscribed along the reverse lower truncation is the registration mark 'DEPOSE 123' alongside the maker's signature 'Buonamici'. Originating in Italy, probably during the mid-20th century, the sculpture exemplifies the Italian workshop tradition of producing classicising decorative figures for domestic interiors. The dark, hand-applied finish imparts the appearance and visual weight of patinated bronze to the lighter plaster medium beneath. In terms of size, the piece stands approximately 22.5 cm high, with the marble plinth measuring 17 cm in width by 11 cm in depth, and carries a total weight of 2,135 grams. These moderate proportions make it well suited for display on a desk, console table or library bookshelf. See less