I recently purchased this choirboy(?) statue/sculpture at a thrift store. The sculptor/artist and its history are unknown. There is no signature or marking anywhere on it that I could find. The bottom of the base is smooth with no markings. It stands about 15.5 inches tall. The base is 3.75 inches by 3.75 inches. It is very heavy. See photo with can of beans for reference. What is this made of? Is it made of alabaster? Marble? (It is definitely not resin.) It appears to be carved from pieced-together or joined-together sections of stone. How the pieces were joined, I don't know. The areas of transition from one section (color) to another are perfectly smooth. The only place that is rough (less than perfectly smooth) is at the back neck where perhaps the head did break off and was rejoined (glued?) at one time. There is some daylight in the cracks on either side of the neck. Since the neck transitions from dark stone to light stone right at the seam, I can't tell for sure if it was ever broken, or if this is where the pieces of material were joined in the first place. I handle this so very, very carefully because I am afraid that all of the "seamed" areas could be fragile. I feel so lucky to have found this piece and think it’s is gorgeous. I’m hoping it is really “something”, but even if it isn’t anything (valuable), it is to me because I love it. Does anyone recognize this work or this type of work? Can anyone help me get better identification? Is there a forum or site where I could post photos and get more information? I would be so grateful. More photos to be uploaded to the following post. Thanks, Susie
I don't think he/she is a choirboy, just a sad little urchin deep in prayer, he is quite lovely Sea Shell, and has found a good home with you ... Joy.
Boy , does he have a dour expression...! Almost looks like a dug up church item....lucky enough to have all of it's parts , as the repairs look professional.
Thanks for your reply, Joy. You're right, it may not be a choirboy. But he is wearing a religious cassock... notice the cross on the front of his garment (or pendant).
I think its off a grave,but I could be wrong.I just cant tell from the pics what it is made of,first I thought alabaster,then marble,then resin !
Even though the bottom looks like a separate piece, please show a photo of the bottom. One photo of left? Side of neck shows a type of crack/separation I don't think real stone ever does, but synthetic stuff can. It is a short piece pulled between the shrinking light and dark sections, and that small piece has actually bent when shrinking was pulling the sections apart. Stone doesn't bend except microscopically. The item is synthetic.
Yes, it looks like it. From the grave of a child. It is very well made, and may even look like the child.
The 'tearing' at the neck may be that the repair was done with a synthetic material that has started to remove itself. At first sight it looks like marble and if it is 'very heavy' it is unlikely to be resin. Not a choirboy as that is not a surplus and if it were it would have a cassock beneath it. I suspect, as has been said earlier, that it comes from a grave and it may be of a 'professional mourner'. It looks beautifully carved and must be of some age as the child is barefoot.
It certainly looks to have some age. But could the child be barefoot because it is a representation of the dead child? Or would the 'professional mourner' be the same age as the child it is mourning. I know there used to be a solemn dance with a song here in the south of The Netherlands (mainly Catholic) performed by girls of the same age as a deceased girl. It must have been based on an old ritual, and the girls had to be the same age.
Maybe it was part of a gravestone and that's why there's damage. Someone rescued it and pieced it back together.
