antik.it/Nautical-antiques/78309-Small-Figurehead/
Code 78309
EUR 3800.00
In stock
1728122213Code 78309 Small FigureheadSmall carved wooden figurehead depicting a young Moretto, mounted on a red marble base, Venetian manufacture from the end of the 19th century.
Good state of conservation, signs of restoration on the arms at the shoulder joint and some defects on the fingers of both hands. Height 79 cm - 31 inches, width 23 cm - 9 inches, depth 23 cm – 9 inches.
It is an excellently crafted sculpture made of polychrome poplar wood with traces of gilding, depicting a young African dressed as a sailor with a red blouse with short sleeves and closed with a button at chest height. In his left hand he holds a rose, the legs are tapered to simulate those of a mermaid, the terminal plinth is covered with leaves and flowers. This sculpture belongs to the Venetian production of the late nineteenth century, evocative of the colonial past of the Venetian Republic, it has almost certainly never sailed. The history of the Moors originates in the Middle Ages, passing from the eighteenth century, during the maximum splendor of the power of the rich maritime republic, to the nineteenth century where the figure of the Moor becomes a decorative motif in many areas of art, especially in sculpture, giving life to true masterpieces of tradition.
A figurehead is a wooden decoration, which was found on the bow of ships from the 16th to the 19th century. The practice was first introduced in galleons, but even older ships often had some decoration on the bow. Like many of the austere decorations of the time, the figureheads had the purpose of indicating the name of the ship that hosted them to people who could not read, they also had the purpose of showing the wealth and strength of the owner. During the Baroque period some ships boasted gigantic figureheads, weighing many tons and sometimes even carrying two of them, one on each side of the foremast.
The large figureheads, being carved from solid wood and placed at the tip of the hull, negatively affected the navigation capabilities of the ships. This, and the high construction costs, led to much smaller figureheads being made in the 18th century and even eliminated in the following century. After the Napoleonic wars some figureheads began to be produced again, but they only depicted small half-busts and not the large figures used in the past. Clippers of the 1850s and 1860s were typically fitted with full-length figureheads, but these were relatively small and light. The figurehead as such died with the end of large-scale use of sail propulsion. The first steamships had structures resembling figureheads on their bows. This practice lasted until the First World War.
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Of course! The legislative decree n. 42/2004 stipulates that who sells works of art or historical and archaeological items has the obligation to deliver to the purchaser the documents attesting to the authenticity of the object, or at least to submit the documents relating to the probable attribution and origin. Antik Arte & Scienza provides an expertise (as warranty) that contains a description, period and assignment or the author, if known, of the item.
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Nautical antiques
Code 78309 Small Figurehead
Antik Arte & Scienza sas di Daniela Giorgi - via S. Giovanni sul Muro 10 20121 Milan (MI) Italy - +39 0286461448 - info@antik.it - www.antik.it - Monday-Saturday: 10am-7pm
