antique italian alabaster sculpture of the goddess demeter 19th century

This is a splendid antique Italian carved alabaster sculpture of the goddess Demeter dressed in classical costume, circa 1880 in date.

This finely carved sculpture depicts a beautiful young Goddess,clothed in a classical robe - she is exquisitely modelled standing, holding a sheaf of corn, on a reeded column base decorated with ribbons, bows and flowers.The craftsmanship is second to none throughout all aspects of this artwork.
Provenance:Captain John Whittle (born Whitehaven, Cumberland 1836, died Shanghai, China, 1913). His father waswas proprietor of a wholesale and retail business in Whitehaven, an establishment which, traded in the latter part of that century and the early part of the twentieth. JohnWhittle received his Master certificate in Liverpool in 1860, and became a Commander in the China Navigation Company which was founded in 1872 to operate Mississippi-style paddle-steamers on China's Yangtze River, and later formed part of the Swire Group,a multinational conglomerate with interests spanning five continents.
Condition:In really excellent condition, with no chips, marks, or signs of damage. Please see photos for confirmation.Dimensions in cm:Height 53 x Width 17 x Depth 17Dimensions in inches:Height 1 foot, 9 inches x Width 7 inches x Depth 7 inches
Our reference: A1686
Alabaster -is a name applied to varieties of two distinctminerals, when used as a material:gypsumandcalcitealso known as onyx-marble, Egyptian alabaster or Oriental alabaster.In general, but not always, ancient Alabaster in Egypt and the Near & Middle East is calcite. Alabaster in medieval Europe is gypsum. Modern Alabaster is probably calcite, but may be either. Both are easy to 'work' and as both are slightly water soluble, have been used for making a variety of indoor artworks and carvings, as they will not survive long outdoors.The finer kinds of alabaster are employed largely as anornamental stone, especially forecclesiasticaldecoration and for the rails of staircases and halls. Alabaster is also used widely by the sculptors.InEurope, the centre of the alabaster trade isFlorence, Italy.

Antiques.co.uk Ref: 974T2KC2H

Width (cm):

17

Height (cm):

53

Depth (cm):

17

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