Description
Russian manufacture (19th-20th century) – Seated elderly man.
Full figure in various marbles and hardstones, in a display box.
The sculpture depicts an elderly man seated on a richly decorated throne, his hands folded in his lap over a draped blanket. The figure is entirely made of marbles and hardstones of different colours, skilfully assembled to render the various elements of the clothing and complexion: the face in pale stone, the coat in dark green marble, the collar in white stone, the blanket over the legs in mottled yellow-brown stone. The throne, with a shaped outline, is made of mottled brownish-red hardstone, with agate armrests and a gilt metal front panel with decorative motifs; a small white stone applied at the collar further enriches the figure. The piece draws on the taste of the celebrated hardstone figures produced by the House of Fabergé between the late 19th and early 20th century, a genre that enjoyed great popularity in Russian lapidary production, depicting popular types and scenes of everyday life.
Condition report: Good general state of preservation, with traces of ageing, wear, and old restorations; repairs present to the base.
