Pair Of Antique Lead Roundels

A very charming pair of antique lead roundels based on the classical antiquity. Are they English or European, French or Italian? The quality is good enough to be someone like Bromsgrove Guild, but attribution is proving difficult and ongoing.

One depicts a young scholarly Boy, dressed in a loose robe, seated and holding, a scribe in one hand and in the other, a scroll. His feet are bare and he glances upwards lost in thought or contemplation.

The other shows a young girl, also drapped in a loose covering, with the wind blowing it and her ponytail that holds in place her wavy hair, out from behind her. She is kneeling, perhaps in servitude or reverence in bare feet. She holds out both her arms, and gazes down towards her hands. In one hand she holds a small bowl and the other, which had something atop it originally (a small bird or butterfly?) seems to be taking something from the bowl to perhaps offer it's contents or to throw them to the wind. If it was a small creature atop her right hand, she may have feeding it and others around her?

Both figures are held within a thick integral frame of the same material, the circumference of which is decorated with a petal and bead design. The figures and frames are decorated in the round and extend slightly beyond the frames housing, giving a wonderful three dimensional appearance.

The figures and the frames have been painted. The figures a grey colour, to depict lead or stone, and the frames more of a buff terracotta colour, to depict perhaps stone or terracotta. This is likely also to have been done to help protect these pieces from the elements, as these were clearly architectural features of some kind, possibly windows or even part of a series of figures along a wall or balcony and could have been created for a Church or very wealthy home. They retain their original lugs where they were attached to masonry or stone work.

The casting, the quality and condition are all very good and importantly the faces are very appealing.

These are heavy items as you can imagine, and the stands were made specifically for these pieces, and as well as being presented as pieces of sculpture in their own right, they could of course be integrated as unique features in a house or building design, and would make an incredible feature as part of a bespoke pair of impressive entry gates.

HOW TO PAY: Bank transfer, credit card via an invoice sent to you.

Delivery is not included in the stated price. Please enquire for a quote. Collection is also possible from West Sussex.

This item is available to view at the White's Collective, Unit 10 at The Vinery, Arundel.