Antique Baker Boy Jazz Statue Figurine Goldcheider Vienna 1900 Sculpture 60cm
Thanks for looking
Very unusual item! This was bought to the UK from Paris almost a century ago. He's a genuine attic find and has been safely stored away for at least fifty years!
We discover rare and interesting pieces from all over the country and have been supplying our clients globally for the last twenty years. Obviously, this is a somewhat risqué piece and not to everyone's taste but the sculptor has really captured the essence of joy on this handsome chaps' face so I had to get him - hopefully he will bring some of that happiness to his new home!
I've never seen a statue like this one before so have spent some time researching him. Here's the details but it may be worth checking online for more info;
Goldscheider Manufactory and Faience Factory. "FIGURE OF A SEATED BLACK BOY" Gesso and polychrome, Vienna, circa 1890's. This figure of a barefoot, smiling boy, with cap, vest and knickers was produced by Godlscheider in several sizes. This one measures approximately 23 inches (60cm) so is the second largest model they made. Even though he was made in Austria it's believed the original subject and prototype was created in New Orleans - easy to spot why! He's a particularly unusual example as he has the shorts and cap in bottle green, a striped Breton vest but what really stands out is the bright red corduroy jacket - I can't find him in this colour combination anywhere!
As mentioned above the sculptor really captured something that most similar pieces from this era don't. This young lad is totally relaxed, just enjoying a day in the sun without a care in the world - he got soul!
Friederich Goldscheider founded the company in 1885, and it is known for the quality of its ceramics which were produced in majolica, terracotta and faience until 1960
Condition
This is the best part! Pretty good for such an old armature sculpture. It appears there was a weakness in the design when this was created - 99% of the others that have sold have had the head knocked off and then glued back on. Also, generally the toes are missing too - natural weak points in this model that have, as expected over time, been exposed when the statues has been moved around. This one has none of those issues. It's a near miracle that he's still fully intact and has never been repaired. It wasn't mass produced back in the day but also wasn't a particularly expensive piece. However, over the decades most have been destroyed which has made this now highly desirable.
Nb - all photos are of the actual statue that you'll recieve (apart from the auction one - that's for your own price verification). As you can see I've moved him around to different settings so you can picture him in your own environment (and yes...I actually live next door to that horrific building site in the last photo!)
It's not all rainbows and unicorns though. As you can see there are plenty of chips in the paintwork - manly the toes and back of his cap with a few minor ones on his jacket. If you're even only slightly crafty this is a super easy job to colour-match some paint and make him look exactly as he did in 1890 - all he needs is a retouch and he'll be back to pristine
In my own opinion (and it's just my opinion, once he's with you you can do with him as you wish!) I personally think he looks much better as he is. He's had a very long life and the paint chips just add to his character!
Pricing
After all this time he's become quite a rare item - hand made and hand painted I can't find another one exactly like this but similar models sell for anything from £160 to £800 (thats for a pristine example - I've included the most recent sale in the photos). Whilst it's a beautiful statue I think you'd have to be mad to pay anywhere near £800 for one of these. I've priced it well below trending on repaired/incomplete examples for what I believe is a more than fair price - £140.
Feel free to ask any questions
Shipped within 48H tracked and signed with Parcelforce. He'll be very carefully padded out and boxed to ensure he arrives safely and in one piece
International trade welcome (through Ebay's global shipping program - they set the postage prices and taxes).
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Peace and Good luck!