Description
Venetian sculptor (19th century) – Moor Holding a Torch.
Full-length figure carved from wood, lacquered and painted, with original gilding.
The sculpture depicts a standing Moor, with his right arm raised and his left hand resting on his hip. The torso, rendered with careful attention to the naturalistic musculature, is adorned with a necklace and a fringed kilt, both finely carved and gilded. The figure rests on a turned circular base. The subject, belonging to the type of “torch-bearing Moors” commonly found in Venetian decorative furnishings between the 18th and 19th centuries, was generally intended to embellish reception rooms, often in pairs. The right hand now features a socket for electric lighting, added at a later date.
Condition report: Original lacquer and gilding, with minor color loss.
