Posted 4 years ago
Erilindbom
(2 items)
Are these super cool or what? I know that the bronze piece is made by an Italian artist but does anyone know what is it of? A saint maybe? Something religious I’m guessing but this other wooden carving of the (Asian?) man on a horse has us all stumped. Does anyone know what it is, how old, where it came from, and who made it? All I know is that it’s carved from one large piece of. Wood!
Thanks!
Both are Fabulous. The Mengarini devotional bronze looks to be of a young female saint. I suppose the usual names would be Joan of Arc or Saint Bernadette. But you will probably need to look for info of her works. It is bound to be recorded. The date will be helpful.
I agree your exquisite bronze probably depicts a saint, although it could possibly be a commissioned portrait of (for example) a saintly laywoman.
In your position I would contact any museums and galleries that exhibit Mengarini's works, such as the National Gallery of Art (https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.2196.html), to ask for their suggestions re: identifying your piece. She died in NYC in 1952 so it's not unreasonable to start with American institutions.
No idea on the second piece, but you could try posting to the Reddit community (subreddit) 'whatisthisthing', at least in the hope you can narrow down its origin.
Good luck and if you find out more, I hope you'll share your findings here! These are both fascinating and lovely pieces.
P.S. I would suggest you post the wooden piece as a separate post to ensure more people see it (many folks may not click through to discover you've listed 2 separate items under your bronze-bust picture). The second photo is what I'd use as the main photo.