Antique Large East African Carved Wood & Bronze Antelope Sculpture Statue

Description

A large, rare, and most impressive antique hand carved and painted wood and metal stylized antelope African folk art sculpture … more A large, rare, and most impressive antique hand carved and painted wood and metal stylized antelope African folk art sculpture with beautifully aged distressed patina.

Handmade in East Africa, dating to around the late 19th / early 20th century, possibly earlier, this scarce, one-of-a-kind, museum quality work, features a richly detailed patinated bronze head and tail with etched textural elements, tall ears and faux ringed horn spike antlers, mounted on hand sculpted primitive solid wooden body, adorded with scattered remnants of the original gesso and polychrome paint decoration, including floral saddle, collar, and intricate trompe-l'œil graining detail over the whole. circa 1890

Provenance / Acquisition:
From the estate of the honorable Mrs. Penne and Mr. Andrew Peacock (1939-2021), former Minister for Home Affairs of Australia and former Ambassador of Australia to the United States.

2022: We acquired this remarkable antique from distinguished auction house, Austin Auction Gallery, established 1983, Austin, Texas. Important Firearms, Western, Ethnographic Art catalog

Dimensions: (approx)
35" High, 34.5" Wide, 11" Deep, 38lbs

Condition Report:
A superb example, museum exhibition quality, in great original unrestored antique condition.

The rare, one-off, artistic mixed material original folk art work is freestanding, strong, sturdy, structurally sound, with now stable finish. Wear commensurate with age.

Overall it presents splendidly, retaining highly desirable original antique character marks and heavily worn, faded, organically distressed patina with old chippy paint finish losses. Nothing that detracts from the overall display, but only adds a unique visual layer of dimension, and depth, combined with the elegant rustic warmth, and sophisticated cultural and historical interest to this already most distinctive and whimsical near life size animal statue! less