Orientalist Sculpture

Orientalism as a movement and an artistic specialism largely began in France during the nineteenth century, when various historical occurrences—such as Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798, European colonialism in Africa, and the opening of Japan to the West in 1868—aroused an interest in Eastern ideas, styles, and aesthetic forms within European artists and sculptors.

Of all media, Orientalism is especially suited to sculpture, and Mayfair Gallery’s collection of Orientalist sculpture is unmatched in its breadth and scope.

Browse below to discover realistic bronze busts of exoticised figures in Arabic dress, full-length statues of North African and Near Eastern merchants, and an exceptionally array of Viennese cold-painted bronzes.

See our full collection of antique sculpture.