18th Century Sculptures

Bronze Buddha depicted in meditation pose sheltered by a Naga (a seven-headed snake). I two parts. Naga's body coiled up to serve as a cushion for the Buddha with 7 pronged head prov...

Italian 18th century hand-carved Corpus Christi, in original paint, or in some small areas early paint. Note: Original/early finish on antique a...

Eleanora M. Magdalena Dei Medici Wax Portraits on Slate Measures: 4.5" DA 18th Century or Earlier Wax Portraits of Eleonora de' Medici and Maria Magdalena de' Medici in Ormo...

More information coming soon… Dating to circa 1700, this heavy stone armorial has been hand-carved in relief. The 9 1/2 inch thick stone was found on a chateau in Nice, France. Th...

Pair of large branches of Mediterranean red coral (Corallium Rubrum). Gilt bronze bases with phytomorphic calyx stem. Connection with an oval element in Lapis Lazuli and two spirals ...

More information coming soon… There are subtle differences in the motifs of this pair of giltwood carvings from Nice, France. Asymmetry was prevalent throughout furniture and art f...

Exquisite Polychrome Spanish santo wood sculpture of St. Dominic Anonymous ca. 1700; Spain or the Spanish Americas Polychrome wood Approximate ...

Antique statue life sized Roman Greek natural stone old sculpture. The antique statue displayed in this Ad is one of 12 reclaimed life sized limestone s...

Capodimonte factory in Italy near Naples. Enamelled porcelain group presenting three putti playing with sheaves of rosebuds, one of them carrying a basket on his head. Signed L...

A rare and evocative pair of antique Japanese samurai abumi (horse-riding stirrups) dating to the Edo period (1603–1868). Expertly forged in iron, with a silver inlay decorative desi...

Carved wooden representing Christ on the cross.

Well-loved and richly worn, this petite bronze traveling shrine depicts the Hindu god Ganesha. Attributed to 17th/18th century Nepal, the palm-sized icon is sculpted of bronze and fi...

There is much poetry in the execution of this agricultural tool, in its repairs, and in the patina it has attained after a century or two of use.

18th century French carved statue of Madonna and Child. This charming piece has been rescued from a ecclesiastic clear out in the southern part of France The statue is carved fro...

Extraordinary wine-cooler in the form of a beautifully sculpted, gilt and polychromed Swan of impressive stature, makes certainly the conversation-piece of the party. The white paint...

18th Century Chinese bronze duck incense burner, Qing period Please note that one foot is missing, broken off, see detailed image.  

Antique statue life sized Roman Greek natural stone old sculpture. The antique life sized statue displayed in this Ad is one of 12 reclaimed life sized ...

18th century Italian "Florence fragment" with a fossil coral head on a fossil coral cluster base. This fragment is from a church in Florence. It was found ...

An all original, 18th century, hand carved, solid wood statue of a young Ming warrior on horse. Warrior wears a full, elaborate armor fronted with a shield under a large circular col...

Sculptural 18th century Italian fragment with elestial quartz and mounted on an agate slice. The fragment was originally from a historical Italian church. It is mounted with the ele...

This is a pair of jaw dropping hand carved angles. Each figure is carved with an individual face and pose. Removed from a Church in Europe and brought to the States in the 1990's. Th...

Completely hand-crafted in 18th century Spain, this sculpture of the Virgin stands 1.5 meters / 5 feet tall and was most certainly created for devotional purposes, to be displayed in a church or chapel. Besides its impressive size this sculpture is an excellent, museum-quality example of the Spanish “Estofado” polychrome technique, developed during the Gothic period to imitate rich brocade fabrics. The finely carved “fabric” areas of the sculpture would be first covered in gesso, and then a layer of gold leaf would be applied. The gold leaf would then be painted over with various colors of tempera paints. Once dry, the painted surface would be incised or scratched away in patterns, revealing the gold beneath. The sculpture was professionally restored in 2022 by a firm that is often hired by the Spanish government to work on historic building interiors and museum pieces. The virgin was carefully cleaned, repaired and its condition stabilized. A complete and fully-illustrated restoration report will be included with purchase. Often confused with the virgin birth of Jesus, the belief that the Blessed Virgin Mary herself was conceived “immaculately” without original sin has been variously defended and debated within the Catholic Church since the pre-Middle Ages. For centuries, artists struggled to create an acceptable visual representation of this highly abstract concept, in part taking inspiration from the Book of Revelation and other scriptural sources. We see the Virgin standing on a half moon (biblically inspired, though also an ancient symbol of chastity) with her long natural hair loose down her back, another indication of purity. Both her white tunic and flowing blue mantle...

Italian baroque marble angel. Partly painted, in original untouched condition. Is missing a few fingers. Previously repaired (see photos). Italy, 1680...

Antique statue life sized Roman Greek natural stone old sculpture. The antique statue displayed in this Ad is one of 12 reclaimed life sized limestone statues. In this specific ...

A hand carved late 18th/19th Century mythological marble Satyr mask with horns, weathered patina in good condition. The hand sculpted Italian Carrara marb...

This charming pair of small Delft cows was made in Holland around 1780 and painted in the rare and delicate Petit Feu palette. Each cow, modeled in a r...

Marked Meissen. With 18th century French gilt bronze mounts. Modeled by Friederich Elias Meyer.

Sculpture "Nymph and Satyr", made by the author Claude "Clodion" Michel (1738-1814). Made of bronze and patinated in brown. Signed Clodion. France, CIRCA 1780.

18th century Immaculate Madonna Terracotta, 53 x 22 x 20 cm The work examined depicts the Virgin Mary treated according to the iconography of the Immaculate Virgin The theme of the Immaculate Conception began to appear in artistic works ever since the debate began, which saw the Franciscans and the ramifications of the Benedictine Order lined up on one side, linked to the thought of Anselmo d'Aosta and Bonaventura da Bagnoregio, and on the other the Dominicans, linked to the discussion offered by Thomas Aquinas...

An 18th to 19th century carved stone architectural fragment from Aragon, Spain. This antique architectural fragment from Aragon has been hand-carved of stone, featuring a raised shield-shaped design with curvy outline about it's perimeter, and is nicely presented upon on a custom black iron base. The stone has a fabulous patina with weathering, and some areas of wear and slight losses, showing it's rich history and prior use. This 18th to 19th century Spanish carved stone fragment...

This masterfully carved and lacquered Italian wooden female bust exemplifies the exquisite artistry of 18th-century religious artistry. Crafted with exceptional skill and precision, ...

18th century Italian silver and gold leaf crucifix adorned with baroque pearls and mounted on a mica cluster and a calcite crystal. The mica specimen is from the Great Smoky Mountain...

A beautifully sculpted Thai/ Siam Southeast Asian bronze Buddha head on a custom wood stand. The Buddha's eyes are closed in serene meditation. This beautiful gem has a wonderful feel and heft to it. Very well well crafted with a gorgeous natural organic patina acquired over age. This bust/fragment likely belonged to a larger Buddha statue...

A impressive late 18th century French sandstone sundial mounted on a custom lade iron stand. The Latin numerals finely carved at both sides an...

Pair 18th century hand-carved wooden angels were sculpted by a talented artist from solid blocks of hardwood, and feature exquisite features and d...

An exceptional 18th-century Spanish Baroque sculpture of the Immaculate Conception, carved in chestnut wood and richly polychromed and crowned. The sculpture retains its vibrant pi...

A fine antique 18th German porcelain figurine. By the Royal Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. Model Number 12. Depicting a Trumpeter from the 'Gallant Orchestra' series created b...

A striking late 18th-early 19th century bust of the Roman Emperor Titus Domitian. The head is made from hand carved white Carrara marble, the tunic and t...

Wonderful hand carved winged angel head with its original color and gilding. France, circa 1750 Weathered and small losses and old repair. Treated against woodworm. Measurement here...

A large monumental pair of late 18th century Italian terra cotta busts of Apollo and Diana on jadeite and gilt bronze mounted pedestals. 77'' H overal...

18th century Italian gilded candlestick mounted with a pearlescent oyster shell and adorned with gold leaf shells. The 18th century Italian candlestick is originally from a histori...

FIGURE OF A PENITENT SAINT Probably Spanish, circa 1720-50 14" H x 6" D x 5 1/8" W A carved wooden figure of a bearded saint, richly polychromed and gilded in the estofado techniqu...

A stunning, 18th Century carved marble sculpture of a male musician leaning onto a tree stump. Ideal for indoor or outdoor use.

18th cenTURY Carved and Polychromed Wood Religious Statue.Appears to be a saint ? .Amazing patina,, missing hands.. missing bird (bottom) HAND DElivery avail to New York City or any...

18th century Spanish Conquistador carved wood figure. 18th century Carved and painted wood Spanish Conquistador figure or sculpture. This beautif...

An important, extremely rare, and rather large 18th century Meissen Porcelain Group of a Thalia with a Harlequin Child, By Johann Joachim (J.J.) Kändler, Circa: 1744. This is an incredible and extremely rare 18th century Meissen Porcelain piece modeled by the greatest Meissen modeler ever in the Company, Johann Joachim (J.J.) Kändler. Thalia can be seen seated on a gorgeous hand-carved and hand-painted flowered and vined porcelain pedestal. Her right arm is raised holding a Phantom of the Opera Black and White Mask, while in her other arm is a young Harlequin dancing and singing holding a hat. Thalia is wearing a gilt-edged dark blue bodice with white floral decorations over a black corset draped in a red-over-yellow robe...

Pair of 18th century Meissen porcelain subjects. A pair of 18th century Meissen porcelain sculpture subjects, circa 1760, depicting a Turkish couple. H: 13cm, D: 5cm

A large early 18th century carved gilt wood eagle, mounted on a square red velvet covered plinth. Originally used as a lectern adornment, this archite...

This exceptional, larger-than-life bust is an impressive work in Carrara marble, crafted in Amsterdam around 1740. It depicts Omphale, the Lydian queen, identifiable by Hercules’ lio...

A lacquered wood sculpture of a sitting Cherub hand carved and painted in Italy in the early 18th century. The cherub has been mounted on late 19th century on a wood base. It's in or...

Pair of 18th century Italian gold leaf candlestick tops with polished fossil agate coral and a natural forming baroque pearl. The 18th century fragments come from Tuscany and have th...

Immaculate Conception in polychrome and gilded wood with Peruvian silver crown, Spanish school, 18th century A magnificent Baroque carving of the Immaculate Conception, crafted from carved, polychrome, and gilded wood, attributed to the 18th-century Spanish school. It depicts the Virgin in prayer on a cherub pedestal...

Staffordshire, England, circa 1745 – 1760 This charming and unusual figure depicts a seated cat, its body marbled in tones of buff, grey, and warm brown, the patterns flowing like fur beneath a translucent salt glaze. From the crown of its head rises a small candleholder—an enchanting, functional variation that transforms the cat into a decorative light for the Georgian home. The salt-glazed surface has a gentle satin sheen, enlivened by a cobalt wash brushed across the ears and shoulders, a subtle touch of colour that draws the eye. The figure is compact and beautifully balanced, exuding both humor and grace: a work of wit and craftsmanship meant to charm and amuse as much as to illuminate. As a pair, this cat with candleholder and its companion cat carrying a mouse form a dialogue of light and life—one playful, one practical—representing the Staffordshire potters’ genius for turning everyday subjects into artful curiosities. Attribution and Significance Within the history of English ceramics, agateware animals represent the marriage of experimentation and domestic charm. They were objects of conversation—proof of a potter’s technical mastery and a household’s refinement. This cat, with its delicate candleholder, captures that artistic playfulness and innovation. The glaze’s clarity, the elegant pose, and the subtle marbling make it not only an artifact of mid-18th-century Staffordshire but also a small masterpiece of whimsy and craft. Scholarly Analysis and Authentication The figure is made from laminated clays of contrasting colors, known as laid agate, a technique perfected in Staffordshire workshops during the 1740s and 1750s. Strata of buff, pale grey, and iron-bearing brown clay were rolled together, pressed into a two-part mold, and luted along the spine before firing. The cat’s body thus shows true through-body marbling: the veining continues through the thickness of the clay, not merely applied on the surface. The candle socket, made from a single buff clay rather than agate, was luted to the head before glazing. This practical choice prevented distortion during firing and was a typical workshop economy seen in other mid-18th-century functional animal forms. The piece was salt-glazed in a wood- or coal-fired kiln into which common salt was introduced near peak temperature. Sodium vapor combined with the silica of the clay to form a thin, glassy coating. Here, the glaze is smooth and even, suggesting the cat was fired within a protective sagger. The underside of the figure is open, revealing the pressed-clay interior. Two or three minute stilt contacts are visible on the bottom ledge, confirming that the figure rested on kiln props during firing rather than being supported from beneath a closed base. The cobalt wash was brushed under the glaze before firing. It fuses permanently into the surface, creating soft haloes of blue wholly consistent with decoration on salt-glazed figures from the Whieldon circle circa 1750-1760. Later 19th-century reproductions employ overpainted enamels that sit atop the glaze. The open underside, authentic stratified body, integrated socket, and original cobalt staining collectively identify this as a genuine product of Staffordshire’s mid-18th-century agateware tradition, most plausibly from the orbit of Thomas Whieldon at Fenton Vivian or a closely related potter. The measured height, modelling, and marbling correspond closely to examples in the Burnap Collection (nos.. 362–363, Nelson-Atkins Museum) and Sotheby’s (2015) — “A Staffordshire agateware cat-form candlestick, circa 1755. Provenance / Condition: Current Condition: Excellent, with one ear repaired at the tip and restoration at the top of the candleholder; the glaze remains bright and continuous across the body and socket. References: Burnap Collection, English Pottery 1675–1825, nos. 362–363. Sotheby’s (2015) — “A Staffordshire agateware cat-form candlestick, circa 1755. Christie’s, London 2010, lot 82. 1stDibs “Staffordshire Agateware Pottery Saltglaze Figure of a Cat,” item ref LU95812370442 Price: $4,482.16 Chipstone Foundation, Marbled Agateware: Techniques and Identification, 2005. Henry Sandon, Staffordshire Pottery, 1970, pp. 52–54. John Howard Antiques, Antique Agateware...

A pair of antique 18th century carved oak figures. These were previously part of a panelled room in a house in Hampshire, constructed from earlier pieces of architectural salvage an...

This pair of Meissen groups portray scenes of playful lovers in bowers of flowers embellished with mercury gilded bronze. The bowers are crowned with additional nosegays of porcelain...

Decorative 18th century wooden Phoenix bird with polychrome lacquer. From Henan Province, China. Untouched original condition. Measures: Height bird 21...

Early 18th century Italian angel wall piece with a crown of elestial crystal quartz and coordinating baroque pearls. The angle artifact has been naturally distressed with age. The c...

Bronze statuette of St. Jerome, or St Hieronymous, in the manner of the Venetian sculptor Alessandro Vittorio (1525-1608) by the lost wax technique of bronze casting, which leaves a ...

Impressive early 18th century hand carved life-size marble bust of a Roman man, circa 1700 Italy, possibly older. Condition is good with minor chips and nicks consistent with age...

This tall French statue of St. Bartholomew was hand-carved from oak in the 1700’s. This depiction of St. Bartholomew is not often seen in art, except for one of the most well known r...