Zacharie Rimbez (French, 19th/early 20th century), a patinated and parcel gilt bronze bust of an Ottoman maiden

Zacharie Rimbez (French, 19th/early 20th century), a patinated and parcel gilt bronze bust of an Ottoman maiden, circa 1880-1890, with striped headdress and locks of hair flowing across the left shoulder, adorned with jewellery and medallions across a foliate cast garment, the head turned slightly to sinister, on square section tiered base with cartouche detail, 66 cm high
CATALOGUE NOTES:
This bust by Zacharie Rimbez is a prime example of sculpture in the Orientaliste taste, a romanticising take on Near Eastern artistic styles and subject matter fashionable in nineteenth-century France. Though the cartouche on the base of the present example is not inscribed, other versions of this model bear the name 'Saida', suggesting that this is a portrait bust of a particular person or character. This is very much in line with Rimbez' practice, as he often drew inspiration from Orientalist characters in history and fiction. A notable example of this is his bust of Armida, the Saracen sorceress from Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata.