What kind of figurines am I looking at??

All I see is a weary soldier taking a rest and a figure of undetermined sex sitting there with a pole up it's arse .. Joy.

 

after too long staring at these figures I would counsel going the other way (bid on the androgynous figure and not the fellow w/ the rifle)

If however you decide to go after the "male" be a pal and let me know where the auction is being listed so I can chase the other one ; )

 

The androgynous figure has a round 'outgrowth' on its head. You often see that on antique Madonnas with baby Jesus, so a silver or gold crown could be put on their heads.
So I think it is a Jesus who once sat on the arm of a folk Madonna. His hands would have held an orb and a sceptre. Maybe made in Goa or the Philippines?
The former owner must have been extremely anti-Catholic to go so far as to impale an innocent child. Some people.

The figure with the rifle looks kind of Indian. Maybe the hat is meant to be a pakol or Afghan hat, and he was made in Afghanistan or Pakistan.

Dutch Madonna with round 'thing' on her head for a precious metal crown, she would have had a precious metal sceptre as well:



Dutch silver crowns for Madonna (left) and child (right):

 

I think the (he,she) figure has a replaced head as I see a line across the neck, the shoulders and hands are adult male size, and only the legs appear to be baby. I don't understand the figure at ALL !!! .. Joy.

 

There does seem to be a line across the neck. These were passed up previously and I suspect the general consensus at the auction was "no thanks". If I can get them for 20-30 each I still might buy them as a curio decor pieces.

 

The head could have been carved separately.

I don't understand it either, I even tried Dutch, but there seems to be an insurmountable language barrier.

 

Maybe just the guy with the gun? He seems friendly enough.

 

1. Except for the fact that this figure is too old, the snake bit fits with Hercules, who strangled a nasty snake in his crib.

2. As for the "curio" bit, I used to use such ctitters as part of my dinner table centerpiece. After dinner, everyone had to explian, identify, whatever it was. On paper.

Or, invent a story to go with "story" paintings.

Tee Hee!!

 

Somehow hopped over this when I remarked about the hole in the hand. Holly is right, half the barrel is missing, which is what pegged into the hole in the hand & maybe was anchored at that hole in the chest. For some reason I keep thinking he is meant to be Afghan. Maybe because we recently had a jezail rifle:

 

Which would tie in with what I thought could be a pakol, or Pashtun hat.

 

Wish I could sit down at that dinner table and write my thoughts ... it would all be in poetic form LOL .. Joy.

 

[QUOTE="silverthwait, post:

.....After dinner, everyone had to explian, identify, whatever it was. On paper.

Or, invent a story to go with "story" paintings. [/QUOTE]

I think we’re all playing your after diner game right now ; )

 

Think I figured out the leg position on figure 1. S/he is missing a horse:

 

Jsn... -- the thought DID cross my mind, that the um...creature... was in, more or less, the position for a Parthian shot. But, the hands don't seem right.

 

Great thought. I was trying to figure out why the torso would be twisted so far to the side & also how the right heel could be so far back if the figure were seated on any regular chair or stool. Your observation that hands could have held sword & buckler is probably also correct.

Both may have come from a collection centered on soldiers/warriors.

 

The one on the right appears Irani and I agree it looks like there's a snake wrapped around the one on the left. They gave you no insight at all, Stephen?

 

If the reigns were in the right hand and a spear or sword was in the left then I think they work.

 

Like this



Sans flowing cape et al ; )