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A striking vintage Madonna and Child sculpture with a beautifully simplified, Modernist interpretation of the traditional Madonna of Tenderness.
The sculpture depicts Mary gently cradling the infant Jesus against her shoulder, with elongated facial features, downcast eyes, softly modeled forms, and a deep muted green mantle. The restrained design gives the piece an especially serene and sculptural quality that works beautifully in both devotional and decorative settings.
This is a heavy cast plaster/chalkware-type sculpture, measuring approximately 7 inches tall. Examination of the worn areas shows a white to off-white porous substrate consistent with cast plaster rather than glazed ceramic. The piece is unmarked, and no exact maker or mold attribution has been confirmed.
Based on the styling and construction, this piece appears most consistent with Art Deco to early Mid-Century Modern devotional sculpture, circa 1930s–1950s. Its design has a distinctly European character, possibly Western European, although the exact country of manufacture remains unknown.
Condition:
Vintage condition with substantial original age-related surface wear, rubbing and paint loss, particularly to the flesh-toned areas. This exposes portions of the lighter plaster beneath and gives the sculpture the wonderfully timeworn appearance visible in the photographs.
The green mantle retains much of its original coloration with additional scattered wear.
The surface wear has not been repainted or restored, preserving the sculpture\'s authentic aged character. No major structural damage was noted during our previous examination.
Please review all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.
Details:
Madonna and Child / Virgin Mary and Infant Jesus
Cast plaster / chalkware-type construction
Hand-painted finish
Art Deco / Early Modernist styling
Approx. 7\" tall
Likely 1930s–1950s
European-style devotional art
Unmarked
Maker and exact country of origin unknown
Heavy, substantial construction
Original distressed and aged surface
