Figuratives Archivy - Antikelen

Mozart with a violin

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:04:19 +0000

Second half of the 19th century, metal, marble base (damaged, glued), height 29 cm.

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Bronze sculpture of a dancing woman playing the dholak drum

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 13:01:15 +0000

A typical example of traditional Indian craftsmanship. The figure depicts a female musician in a dynamic dancing pose with knees bent, while standing on a plinth decorated with an inverted lotus flower motif. The musical instrument hung around her neck is the dholak (or mridangam), a double-sided drum widely used in Indian folk and classical music.

India, beg. 20th century, bronze, h. 95 cm

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Scholar and poet Su Š’ on a mule

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:57:42 +0000

This motif depicts a famous scholar from the Sung Dynasty who was repeatedly exiled to distant regions due to political intrigues in the imperial court. He is typically depicted wearing a characteristic broad hat and reading a scroll while driving.The scene refers to his political exile to distant regions.

China, 2nd half of the 19th century, alloy, h. 85 cm, d. 75 cm

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The Dancer of Mohenjodar

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:44:20 +0000

The statuette depicts a young woman standing in a confident pose with her hand on her hip. Her left arm is almost completely covered with wide bracelets.

Persia, Harappan culture, 18th century, bronze, h. 31 cm

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Fighters

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:44:45 +0000

Bronze, stone base, late 20th century, unsigned, 26 x 25 x 18 cm

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Modernist female figure

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:41:51 +0000

Bronze, stone pedestal, late 20th century, signed: A. Parnasse, h. 82 cm

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Buddha, Thailand, 19th ct.

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:45:06 +0000

Thailand, 19th century, wood, polychromy, h. 59 cm

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Ritual statue, Congo

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:40:21 +0000

The traditional African ritual statuette shows highly stylized and geometric body proportions. The dominant hemispherical head bears finely carved features. The extremely elongated neck and torso with one conical breast are tightly wrapped in natural material, creating a distinctive spiral relief. The short, massive lower limbs are depicted in a slight squat and ensure the stability of the entire figural composition.

This specific type of sculpture served young women and girls as a protective amulet and ritual aid to ensure fertility, healthy motherhood and easy childbirth. Women carried the statuettes with them, cared for them as if they were real children and believed that through them they communicated with the spiritual forces responsible for the continuity of the family.

Congo, Africa, early 20th century, wood, h. 38 cm

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Carved statue, Luba, Congo

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:18:36 +0000

The traditional carving depicts a kneeling figure holding a sacred ritual bowl called a mboko with both hands. The sculpture bears the classic stylistic features of Luba court art: a prominently arched forehead, an elongated facial area with almond-shaped eyes, a finely crafted intricate hairstyle at the back of the head, and decorative brass studs applied to the forehead and temples.

Mboko vessels were among the most important objects of power and oracles in the Luba kingdom. The kneeling female figure represents a spiritual intermediary, as women were perceived in Luba culture as the only beings capable of preserving the spirits of their ancestors and divine power in their bodies. The mboko bowl served as a place for oracles to store sacred white clay (kaolin). It was applied to the face of a soothsayer or ruler during rituals, enabling communication with the spirit world, purification, divination of the future, and legitimization of royal authority.

Congo, Africa, 1st half of the 20th century, h. 34 cm

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Figural sculpture, Angola

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:07:06 +0000

Figural wooden sculpture depicts a slightly crouched female figure in a ritual position with her hands clasped on her stomach. The sculpture shows a high degree of stylization with pronounced proportional contrasts. The dominant element is a massive, monumental hairstyle with fine linear ribbing and stepped articulation. The heart-shaped face is highlighted with light pigment.

In traditional Angolan art, female figures have a fundamental ritual significance. They represent revered ancestors, founders of lineages, or protective deities of fertility and motherhood. The position of the hands resting on the stomach symbolizes the continuity of life, pregnancy, and ancestral protection. These statues were kept in ancestral sanctuaries, where they served as a medium for communication with the spiritual world, to ensure the prosperity of the community, and safe childbirth.

Angola, Africa, early 20th century, wood, h. 75 cm

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