Black Bronze Head of a Laotian Woman
Hello- My mom, Helen Angell (born in 1937) received a wedding gift in May of 1959, from her favorite Aunt that was living abroad in Japan at that time. All I know about the item is what my mom had noted. Please see my mom's notes below: "In May 1959, Aunt Bettie's boyfriend, Major Paul Durbin, JAG, Tokyo, Japan. Sent to me as a wedding gift, the Black Bronze Head of a Laotian woman. He stated that there was only ONE other like it and that was in the Pentagon Office. Within the last year or longer, I have noticed in one of the rooms in the White House when President Obama had guests, that there was a similar Black Bronze Head on a table in the room. I don't know whether is belongs to President Obama's own private collection or borrowed as part of the White House decor. It would just be nice to have information about it."
12 inches in height and 6 inches in width
Inherited
Yes
Hello, this item is a black-patinated bronze bust of a Laotian woman, standing 12 inches high and measuring 6 inches in width. Based on the stylized features, refined casting, and elegant modernist base, the piece appears to be a mid-20th-century decorative sculpture, possibly produced in Japan or Southeast Asia during the postwar period. The smooth surface, almond-shaped eyes, and serene expression reflect a romanticized, idealized interpretation of Laotian identity, which was often depicted in export art during the 1950s–1960s. While not a traditional ethnographic artifact, this object stands out for its craftsmanship and aesthetic harmony.
The provenance provided adds intriguing narrative value: gifted in 1959 through U.S. military connections in Japan, and noted as having a counterpart seen in a Pentagon or White House setting.
