Venetian School, 18th or 19th Century Bust of a Blackamoor carved and polychromed wood Height: 28-1/2 inches
Antique blackamoore with outstretched hand holding a beautiful hand painted floral porcelain dish (see photo of the bottom of the dish for markings). Wood has engraving on the torso, and a painted face and arms. Gilded paint on torso details and arms.
28.5" H x 14" L x 12" W
Inherited
Yes
Hi Framm,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
The porcelain (and pewter?) dish was made by Royal Vienna in the early 20th Century and is probably not original to this carved and painted wood Blackamoor figure, which are fascinating figures but also complex ones; They were important in different ways at different times, though today they are viewed quite differently because of their problematic associations.
This has the look of Venetian carved figures- possibly 18th or 19th Century. It's possible - given the size - that this was meant to stand in a hallway as a "butler" to receive calling cards in the little dish in its hand.
Blackamoor figures of comparable size and age are not very rare and this is a nice example: I would expect it would bring between $800-$1,200 if offered at auction.
Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:
Venetian School, 18th or 19th Century
Bust of a Blackamoor
carved and polychromed wood
Height: 28-1/2 inches; width: 12 inches
CONDITION: This figure appears to be in good condition with wear and cracking commensurate to age and use.
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$ 800-1,200*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.
Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia
Thanks, you're all set.
Delia,
Thank you for your appraisal.
Please let me know the auction's terms as I am interested in
using their services.
If I decided to sell this to a shop would my price be higher?
Thank you.
Hi Framm,
Mearto doesn't auction items per se, rather, we can recommend an auction house in your area to work with, or you can list with our global auction partner Catawiki, OR you can simply post this on Mearto's website / marketplace and wait to see if you have any interested buyers. It looks like the status is "for sale" and "public" so it's already on the marketplace - you aren't obligated to accept any offers.
Let me know if you'd like additional information about any or all of those options.
Thanks,
Delia
Hi Delia,
Thank you for this information, could you recommend me an auction house in Los Angeles or Southern California? Or would you recommend your global auction partner for this kind of item. What is the process to work with them?
Thank you,
Framm
There are any number of auction houses in Southern California you might try: Andrew Jones Auctions, Heritage Auctions, Abell Auctions and Moran are all reputable firms. Standard fees include commission, insurance and photography, with the seller usually responsible for the costs of getting the item to the auction house (the buyer will pay to ship the item from the auction house to wherever they are in the world).
On our FAQ page there's a link for information on selling through Catawiki: https://www.mearto.com/catawiki
If you do go with Catawiki, you can shortcut the process with this link (https://prf.hn/click/camref:1101lHtv3/pubref:delia), which shows them that you've worked with me at Mearto.
Let me know if you still have questions - I'm happy to advise however I can
Delia
The bust is not attached to the top. There is a wooden piece that fits into a hole in the base that makes the item one.
Upon tapping on the base I believe it is wood....
Kind Regards