861 - Antiquized group of figures

Antiquized group of figures Val Gardena, 18th/19th century Carved wood, polychromed and gilt Height 21.5 cm, width 16 cm, depth 9 cm Chipped, arm broken, missing pieces Val Gardena developed into a major center of woodcarving in the 18th and 19th centuries. In addition to religious figures, the workshops and home-based production facilities produced a wide variety of secular small sculptures and decorative household objects. In doing so, the carvers also drew on motifs from other art forms, such as porcelain sculpture. With its compact composition and the tree rising up in the center, this group is reminiscent of figuratively designed pocket watch stands. Two seated figures are arranged around a palm-like tree. A naked man with curly hair and a beard reaches for a leaf and gazes upward toward the tree’s crown. Opposite him sits a clothed woman holding a large, gilded fish in her arms. Between them stands a bucket-shaped vessel filled with flowers. The colored paintwork and the gilding of individual sections emphasize the decorative character of the intricate carving. At first glance, the tree and the pair of figures might suggest a depiction of Paradise. However, a mythological or allegorical scene related to water is also a possibility. Neptune and Amphitrite are possible points of comparison, as depictions of them also combine a bearded man with a female figure and maritime attributes. SHORT TEXT