Marble/Alabaster Choirboy Statue

9 years ago

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 to light material, I can't tell for sure if it was ever broken, or if this is how the pieces 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 so much in advance!
Susie

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Sombreuil

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

See how the material has torn, with the small bridge bending between the two parts of the break? Stone does not do this, thinking resin.

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Comments (12)

Sea Shell
Original Author
9 years ago
More photos:

One more set to be uploaded.
Sea Shell
Original Author
9 years ago

Thanks again for any help identifying my new beauty. I appreciate it!

Susie
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jemdandy
9 years ago
I think this piece was dropped and broken. The neck has a definite break and the legs were broken below the knees. The damage from the leg break was extensive. It also broke the stone behind the legs, and when that stone tore loose from the base, several more pieces were broken away. The legs have been cemented back on as well as the stone behind the legs, but there are missing chips where this stone broke away from the base. The head was glued back on, but there is a serious crack running from the eye socket to the back of the neck.

I can't tell what sort of cement was used, but the repair is less than desirable. With proper cement and technique, the neck crack should have been nearly invisible and colorless. These cracks at the neck and legs show a bit of discoloration which is marring the repair.

My choice of cement would have been water clear epoxy, the type used to repair cracks in jewelry stones.

This was an unfortunate event because the art work of the piece is very good.
nyboy
9 years ago
I bet it was in a home of a smoker. My mother was a heavy smoker, a pair of white marble lamps in her badroom have that same brownish yellowish tint
lindac92
9 years ago
There is a site that specializes in "real marble" repros of ancient statuary. They get to call it marble by using ground marble mixed with resin. I suspect that's what you have.
Unfortunately this brain is having a "senior moment" and I can't remember the name of the site. If it pops into my head, I'll post a link.
justlinda
9 years ago
Found this site handy when referencing different kinds of stone: Identifying different kinds of stone: marble, alabaster, granite, etc.
writersblock (9b/10a)
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
FWIW, Skinner's sold a similar but undamaged statue as one of a pair earlier this year:

https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/2975B/lots/679
lindac92
9 years ago
Interesting....I would say that one is the same but on a different base......telling me it's not an original work of art.
The site Iw as thinking of is Design Toscano....but the site is havind problems and you can't access all the items.
writersblock (9b/10a)
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Incidentally, FWIW, before resin there was something for repairing broken marble/alabaster pieces that was much superior to anything available today, but I don't know what it was.

A 94-year old friend has a large marble statue of a kneeling woman playing an Egyptian-style harp. It belonged to her mother and during a move when she was a very young child the hands got broken off. Her mother made bracelets of roses from whatever this was and put those over the breaks when she stuck it back together, and honestly you wouldn't know it had been broken unless you examined it very closely. They look exactly like they were carved as part of the original statue.

But whatever this stuff was, it was moldable and able to be blended very closely to the tone and texture of the original material.
Fori
9 years ago
The version at the link isn't as detailed, especially the hem on the gown. I wonder what the original was. Very cute, with the grumpy little boys.
lindac92
9 years ago
I see no difference in detail but for the hem of the gown.
But the fact that there are several and these are not bronze castings, tells me that it's a commercially produced piece. Like;y not a copy of anything...just a sentimental piece, likely of a stone composition.