Life-size wooden figure of a bearded man.
Description
Provenance: acquired in 1984 in the antique shop in Paris as a figurehead of a saint (or monk) made of oak from a presumably Portuguese ship from the late 17th century. (Original certificate from “CHAILLOUS INTERNATIONAL Centre d'affaires “LE LOUVRE”, Place du Palais Royal/Paris is available), provisional naming: Prophet Habakkuk, however, in commissioned wood analyses, the pieces of wood sent in proved to be walnut or elm, the wooden sculpture has traces of fabric gluing, which speaks for a partial or holistic polychrome version,
Height approx. 190 cm, width up to 45 cm, depth up to approx. 84 cm, weight approx. 150 (!) kg,
Despite extensive research involving museum experts from all over the world (National Maritime Museum/London, Museu de Marinha/ Lisbon, The “Cutty Sark” Society/London, Statens Sjöhistoriska Museum/Stockholm, Monument Musei e Gallery Pontificie/ Rome, Musee du Louvre/Paris, Altonaer Museum/Hamburg, etc.), could the exact age (17th-19th century/ rather 17th century) and the intended function (probably not a figurehead due to the atypical non-curved shape with visible mounting structure and the downward viewing direction, possibly part of a multi-part sculpture group, erected inside the ship or belonging to the interior of a religious building), furthermore, the experts found it very difficult to decipher the actual identity of the person portrayed, according to the very broad Diversified opinions would come here, for example Pope Paul III Farnese (1468 - 1549), the Portuguese navigator and explorer Vasco da Gama (around 1469- 1524), the polymath Galileo Galilei (1564 -1642) or god father from an imposing altar group in question, but the stylistic classification of the sculpture by Boye Meyer-Friese from the Altona Museum in Hamburg, who has the excellent carving in the Close to the important French sculptor Pierre Puget (1620-1694), the figure is in remarkably good condition for its age, trade press: the collected Research results appeared compiled in the 4-page article “Qui est donc Abacuc? “available in the art magazine L'Eventail with 3 large-format photos, pp. 74-77, L'Eventail, No.28, May 1990, extensive dossier with expert opinions, analysis results and related correspondence (1980s).Show more
Condition
Wood partly with signs of age, weathering, worm marks.
Bid on this lot
Description
Provenance: acquired in 1984 in the antique shop in Paris as a figurehead of a saint (or monk) made of oak from a presumably Portuguese ship from the late 17th century. (Original certificate from “CHAILLOUS INTERNATIONAL Centre d'affaires “LE LOUVRE”, Place du Palais Royal/Paris is available), provisional naming: Prophet Habakkuk, however, in commissioned wood analyses, the pieces of wood sent in proved to be walnut or elm, the wooden sculpture has traces of fabric gluing, which speaks for a partial or holistic polychrome version,
Height approx. 190 cm, width up to 45 cm, depth up to approx. 84 cm, weight approx. 150 (!) kg,
Despite extensive research involving museum experts from all over the world (National Maritime Museum/London, Museu de Marinha/ Lisbon, The “Cutty Sark” Society/London, Statens Sjöhistoriska Museum/Stockholm, Monument Musei e Gallery Pontificie/ Rome, Musee du Louvre/Paris, Altonaer Museum/Hamburg, etc.), could the exact age (17th-19th century/ rather 17th century) and the intended function (probably not a figurehead due to the atypical non-curved shape with visible mounting structure and the downward viewing direction, possibly part of a multi-part sculpture group, erected inside the ship or belonging to the interior of a religious building), furthermore, the experts found it very difficult to decipher the actual identity of the person portrayed, according to the very broad Diversified opinions would come here, for example Pope Paul III Farnese (1468 - 1549), the Portuguese navigator and explorer Vasco da Gama (around 1469- 1524), the polymath Galileo Galilei (1564 -1642) or god father from an imposing altar group in question, but the stylistic classification of the sculpture by Boye Meyer-Friese from the Altona Museum in Hamburg, who has the excellent carving in the Close to the important French sculptor Pierre Puget (1620-1694), the figure is in remarkably good condition for its age, trade press: the collected Research results appeared compiled in the 4-page article “Qui est donc Abacuc? “available in the art magazine L'Eventail with 3 large-format photos, pp. 74-77, L'Eventail, No.28, May 1990, extensive dossier with expert opinions, analysis results and related correspondence (1980s).Show more
Condition
Wood partly with signs of age, weathering, worm marks.
