1 of 20

Rare Plaster Phrenology Bust Prepared by A.L. Vago, London, 1869

Name: Rare Plaster Phrenology Bust Prepared by A.L. Vago, London, 1869
Brand: Ambrose Lewis Vago
Rating: 5 (7 reviews)

$674.44List Price

About the Item

The wonderfully evocative phrenologist bust in plaster, mapping the labeled regions of the human brain, such as 'Intellectual Faculties' and 'Destructive' via a number of printed paper labels applied to the head listing the mental faculties, and coated with applied lacquer, having been damaged and repaired, the reverse stamped "Published by A.L.Vago London 1869' surviving from mid-Victorian period London. The condition of the bust is as found with some surface chipping to the top surface and areas of thinning to the glaze, in a few areas, please see the photographs for full visual reference. Some of the paper labels are absent. It has obviously been dropped at some stage in its life and pieced back together; though the repair seems a very old one; this aside it remains in-tact and whole. Ambrose Lewis Vago was born in London. The son of an immigrant Italian figure maker, Vago was born in the holborn district of London and died in Pancras. He also wrote the book Orthodox Phrenology in 1866 and a handbook, Instructions in the art of modeling in clay. Ambrose Lewis worked as a modeller and phrenologist from circa 1861 until his death. He published quite a number of texts on phrenology and appears also to have made exhibits. Vago said of the phrenology bust; 'a surgery was considered to be incompletely furnished without such a bust; and a phrenological head was a regular item in the order for an outfit such as applied by medical men by the firm of Messrs. Maw, Son and Thompson, surgical instrument makers of London.' This being dated to 1869 means it is an early example of its type. Derived from the theories of the idiosyncratic Viennese physician Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828), phrenology was a faculty psychology, theory of brain and science of character reading, and what nineteenth century phrenologists called "the only true science of mind". Gall made morality approachable and definitive by labeling regions of the human brain, as we see here, which would swell or deflate according to their prominence until adulthood when the cranial bone fused into indelible proof of ones abilities and shortcomings. Based on his observations, from the late 1700s Gall claimed that the brain contained "inner senses" whose development determined the shape of the brain and ultimately, the shape of the skull. It became especially popular in England, where Gall's supporter Thomas Forster named the new discipline "phrenology" - meaning 'science of the soul'. In the early 1800s, all kinds of people, with little or no medical training, liked to engage in phrenology using (usually plaster) phrenological heads like this one as maps for reading skull shapes. Early heads are plaster, with ceramic models then becoming the norm and more popular in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries as they were less prone to damages and labels rubbing off. Phrenological heads cast in plaster or ceramic became commonplace adornments in American homes in particular; according to an article in the Boston Christian Examiner in 1834, "Heads of chalk, inscribed with mystic numbers, disfigured every mantelpiece." The latter phrenology movement was largely responsible for the anthropometric (head reading) craze of the latter 19th century and its well-known anthropological and racial concerns. Albeit in a more parlous state than the ideal, this remains a rare and very decorative piece.

Creator:
Ambrose Lewis Vago (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 6 in (15.24 cm)Width: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)Depth: 3.5 in (8.89 cm)
Style:
High Victorian (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Plaster,Hand-Crafted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
1860-1869
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1869
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor structural damages. Minor fading.
Seller Location:
Bedford, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 2186a1stDibs: LU1944318558712

Antique Late 19th Century English Late Victorian Scientific Instruments

Materials

Plaster, Paper

19th Century Plaster Phrenology Bust by Vago of London, 1869

$1,369

H 6.11 in W 2.56 in D 3.55 in

19th C Scientific James DeVille L N Fowler Phrenology Plaster Bust Head Curio

By L. N. Fowler

Located in Lowestoft, GB

A larger than the normal plaster cast phrenology head, with its original painted finish and paper labels. The original makers label is partially missing leaving it a bit of a myster...

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century English Scientific Instruments

Materials

Plaster

19th C Scientific James DeVille L N Fowler Phrenology Plaster Bust Head Curio

$2,057

H 9.85 in W 4.73 in D 5.52 in

Contemporary Pharmaceutical (Paxipam) Phrenology Bust / Head Paperweight

Located in San Diego, CA

A really cool contemporary pharmaceutical (Paxipam) phrenology bust / head paperweight, circa 2000s. The model is in very good vintage condition and measures 2.5"W x2.5"D x 4.5"H.. ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Models and Miniatures

Materials

Metal

Contemporary Pharmaceutical (Paxipam) Phrenology Bust / Head Paperweight

$250

H 4.5 in W 2.5 in D 2.5 in

Rare George III Celestial Pocket Globe by Cary, London

By Cary

Located in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

A fine and rare 3" celestial pocket globe by G & W Cary, Strand, London circa 1791, housed in its original sharkskin case. A companion globe to terrestrial globes of this type we...

Category

Antique Late 18th Century English George III Aviation Objects

Materials

Plaster

Rare George III Celestial Pocket Globe by Cary, London

$14,314

Free Shipping

H 3 in Dm 3 in

Rare 3 Vol. Book Set, Microcosm of London or London in Miniature by Ackerman

Located in Milford, NH

A rare leatherbound three volume book set titled “Microcosm of London or London in Miniature” published by Rudolph Ackerman (1764 - 1834), illustrated with 104 aquatint plates after ...

Category

Antique Early 1800s English Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

Rare 3 Vol. Book Set, Microcosm of London or London in Miniature by Ackerman

$6,500 / set

H 14 in W 11.63 in D 1.63 in

Plaster Model of Male Bust with Markings, France, 19th Century

Located in Kastrup, DK

Plaster bust on base. Preliminary study for marble carving with markings for the stonemason. France, 1850-1880. A very decorative piece.

Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Busts

Materials

Plaster

Plaster Model of Male Bust with Markings, France, 19th Century

$4,739

H 84 in W 67 in D 36 in

Rare and Early Plaster Relief Map of Adirondack Mountains by F J H Merrill

By E. W. Merrill, P.F. Howells

Located in Buffalo, NY

Rare and Early Monumental Plaster Relief Map of Adirondack Mountains by The University of the State of New York, New York State Museum..F J H Merrill director,,,modeled by Howell's ...

Category

Vintage 1910s American Industrial Maps

Materials

Plaster, Wood

Rare and Early Plaster Relief Map of Adirondack Mountains by F J H Merrill

$3,200

H 63 in W 44 in D 5 in

An 18K Gold and Gem Set Bust of a King, by George Weil London

Located in Queens, NY

An 18K Gold and Gem Set Bust of a King, by George Weil London, circa 1970 This magnificent 18K gold and gem-set bust of a king, crafted by George Weil in London, stands as an embodi...

Category

20th Century British Collectible Jewelry

Materials

Lapis Lazuli, Gold

An 18K Gold and Gem Set Bust of a King, by George Weil London

$131,500

H 13 in W 6 in D 6 in

Very Rare English Antique Sterling Silver Monkey Pepper Pot - London 1881

Located in London, London

Hallmarked in London in 1881, this charming and very rare, Victorian, Antique Sterling Silver Pepper Pot, is modelled as a Monkey. The pepper pot measures 2.75"(7cm) tall, by 1.25"...

Category