Antique Gorham Miniature Sterling Silver Sculpture/ Chinese Man - Circa 1890s

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Antique Gorham Miniature Sterling Silver Sculpture/ Chinese Man - Circa 1890s:
$406.00

Antique Miniature Gorham Sterling Paperweight - Sculpture
~ Chinese Man ~

Polished Alabaster Base - Circa 1900

~ please scroll down for more photos ~ SIZE:

Height (including base) - - 1.75\" x 1.25\" x 0.75\"

Weight (sterling figure only / silver weight) - 4.43 gramsDESCRIPTION:

Late 19th or early 20th century sterling silver figural paperweight or miniature sculpture, mounted on a polished alabaster base, by well-known American silver-maker and foundry, Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island.

Marked with an impressed signature, under the man\'s leg: \"GORHAM STERLING 1117\". This sculpture is solid sterling, not silver-plated or silver-washed bronze, and you can see the silver inside the threaded hole on the bottom of the sculpture where it mounts to the bronze threaded bolt that is set into the polished alabaster base (see photos).

This piece is very fine and in the form of a realistically modeled Chinese man, sitting erect with a cup of tea in one hand and a flower in the other. He is wearing traditional Chinese clothing with a cape with silk cord ties and has a mostly shaved head with a long braided pig-tail.

The sculpture is very, very detailed, including the expression on the man\'s face. He reminds me of a Mongol warrior, Lord, or Emperor and looks very proud and wise.

This piece was likely made as a paperweight, or possibly a miniature sculpture during the latter part of the American Aesthetic Period when orientalist imagery in art and sculpture was very popular.AGE:

Circa 1880 - 1910 CONDITION:

Excellent condition, as shown in the photos and with the following noted: No damage, no losses, no repairs. Darkened patina to the surfaces of the sterling figure. Looks never to have been polished. The piece could be polished by the new owner, if desired.

Alabaster base in good condition with wear to the green printed faux-leather paper on the bottom.HISTORY:

Although the sculptor of this piece is unidentified, many famous sculptors worked for and had pieces made by Gorham.

In the early 1880s Gorham began casting ecclesiastical items, such as lecterns and in 1889 the cast their first statue, The Skirmisher by Frederick Kohlhagen, located at Gettysburg National Military Park. In 1896 their casting of W. Granville Hastings bust, Judge Carpenter was the first in America using the lost-wax casting method. After that the foundry went on to become one of the leading art foundries in the United States. Gorham artisans sculpted the famous monument of George Washington in the Capitol\'s Rotunda, the statue of Theodore Roosevelt that overlooks the Museum of Natural History in New York, and the famous \"Independent Man\" which tops Rhode Island\'s state house. Gorham designed a number of elaborate figural trophies for sporting events, including the Borg-Warner Trophy for the Indianapolis 500, designed by Robert J. Hill.

A 1920 book published by the Gorham Company featured full page photographs of sculptures by such notable sculptors as: Chester Beach, Gutzon Borglum, Allan Clark, Cyrus Dallin, Abastenia St. Leger Eberle, Laura Gardin Fraser, Harriet Frishmuth, Emil Fuchs, Karl Gruppe, Anna Hyatt Huntington, Isidore Konti, R. Tait McKenzie, Edith Parsons, Alexander Phimister Proctor, and Mahonri Young. They also cast monumental works for such luminaries of the American Renaissance as Augustus Saint Gaudens, Daniel Chester French and James Earle Fraser (sculptor).

The Smithsonian archives of American art list Gorham foundry over 700 times in their inventory of American sculpture.PLEASE NOTE :

The low opening offer, with , is not meant to reflect upon the actual monetary value of the piece. My sales are structured this way to encourage offerding and to allow the final sale price to be determined by the buyers. ~ please click on image for high definition photos item will be a museum quality addition to any collection of American Sculpture or Gorham Sterling and will display beautifully in any Asian, Victorian, Aesthetic Period, Modernist, Art Deco, or Arts and Crafts decor.

This object comes from a smoke-free, pet-free Environment and it will be carefully packed and shipped for quick and safe arrival to its new owner.

Please look carefully at all the photographs to view the details and condition of the piece. Please e-mail with any questions ... we always respond quickly!

Shipped from Brisbane, California, USA.
International shipping by USPS.

Items shipped to a location in California are subject to CA State sales tax.All of our pieces are guaranteed authentic, as described, and to your satisfaction, with a full money-back guarantee, including return shipping, if returned promptly and in good condition.