A finely carved Baroque limewood figure of a winged putto or cherub, executed from a single substantial block of limewood and retaining traces of its original polychrome and gesso decoration.

The figure displays the expressive modelling and vigorous carving associated with South German and Austrian ecclesiastical sculpture of the mid-18th century. The deeply carved flowing hair, rounded facial features and confident anatomical modelling are characteristic of high-quality workshop production intended for a church altar, reredos or devotional architectural setting.

Unlike many surviving examples, the sculpture remains carved from a single piece of timber, with no later block-built construction. Careful examination reveals surviving remnants of the original prepared decorative surface within protected areas and the timber grain, together with traces of historic gesso preparation visible both under normal and ultraviolet examination. These remnants indicate that the figure was originally fully decorated and almost certainly gilded and polychromed.

The limewood has developed an attractive rich honey-brown patina through centuries of handling and natural oxidation. The surface exhibits honest age-related wear together with minor losses and historic shrinkage cracks entirely consistent with an eighteenth-century ecclesiastical carving.

The expressive face, powerful sweeping movement and substantial scale give the figure excellent decorative impact while retaining clear evidence of its religious and architectural origins.

A particularly attractive survivor from the European Baroque period, equally suitable for collectors of early sculpture, interior designers and ecclesiastical art collections.

Dimension: 30cm Height, 30cm Width, 22cm Depth

Condition

Good structural antique condition.

Carved from a single block of limewood.

Historic losses to both hands.

Surface wear commensurate with age.

Minor age-related shrinkage cracks.

Remnants of original gesso and decorative finish remain.

Stable throughout.

Price breakdown: Limewood antique Putto - £3450, Courier/Delivery Fee UK MAINLAND ONLY - £50