19th and 20th century chalkware sculpture and statuary
Chalkware is a type of decorative figurine or sculpture made from plaster of Paris or a similar material. It is typically painted and then distressed or weathered to give it an antique or vintage appearance.
Chalkware figurines were popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries and were often found in carnivals and fairs as prizes or souvenirs. They were also used as decorations in homes, particularly in the form of figurines or busts of famous historical figures.
Chalkware can be fragile and prone to chipping or breaking, so it is not a material that is widely used for functional objects.
An Australian painted chalk ware plaque of an Aborigine in red pine frame, late 19th century 84 x 50 cm overall. Provenance: The John Stephens Collection
A framed Victorian Chalkware relief carved bust, late 19th/Early 20th century, the relief carving portrait, depicting a young female, housed in a circular frame. The frame 40 cm diameter
Sir Henry Parkes bust and book. Fragmentary Thoughts, Sir Henry Parkes, pub by S E Lees, Sydney 1889. Gift inscription from Parkes to Hugh Taylor. Also chalkware bust signed Allom, height 25 cm (bust)
A pair of antique Chalkware relief panels. Late 19th to early 20th century. The large plaques dramatically framed with palm trees and draped curtains depicting exotic Middle Eastern scenes: a figure of a woman upon a horse, and a man upon a camel holding…
An Esther Hunt chalkware bust of 'Butterfly', circa 1930s, the handpainted and moulded figure of a young Asian girl with a wistful gaze attired in a Prussian blue and floral robe and a jewelled and floral cloche; inscribed signature verso and painted name…
A Chalkware female blackamoor floor lantern, circa 1930-1940s, the exotic figure dressed in a flouncy leafy skirt, a puff sleeved blouse and a turban, her right arm raised and holding an Art Deco amber and tan glass ball shade; upon an integral base and…