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The delightful pair of sculptures are naturalistically modelled as birds, and are crafted in rare and beautifully coloured semi-precious stones. The first sculpture depicts a bird carved in rich blue lapis lazuli, a stone prized since antiquity for its intense colour. The bird perches with gold legs onto a naturalistic cropping of muscovite, a mineral stone known for exhibiting a flaky, grain-like quality, which here resembles straw or nest-like materials. The muscovite is set with droplets of pyrite gold, which glimmer and sparkle as the bird guards them from above, like treasure.
The second sculpture depicts a bird carved in amethyst, a striking purple or violet-coloured semi-precious stone used widely in jewellery. The bird perches on a tall, rocky base of unpolished red calcite, which exhibits several rusty red shades and contrasts beautifully with the gold feet and amethyst bird. Dimensions of the two sculptures are as follows:
The lapis bird: Height 8cm, width 11cm, depth 7.5cm
The amethyst bird: Height 12cm, width 10cm, depth 7cm
20th Century
Animal / Animalier, Birds / Ornithology
Amethyst, Gold, Lapis Lazuli, Semi-precious stones
12 cm / 4.7 inches
10 cm / 3.9 inches
7 cm / 2.8 inches
Reference:
15547