Pair of Orientalist spelter bust sculptures

The two spelter busts in this set form a pendant pair: the inward turning postures and downward turned gazes of the two figures complement one another. The figures wear Orientalist dress and are adorned with exotic jewellery around their necks and across their foreheads. The spelter is beautifully cast, producing fine and delicate detail, such as the figures’ locks of hair. The pair are idealised: their beauty and the strength of their characters are ideal. Indeed, there are classical allusions in both figures: one figure wears a downward pointed crescent Moon piece of jewellery around her head, which perhaps indicates a link to the goddess Diana, while the other bears a Medusa-like head pendant upon her necklace. Both pieces carry a warm patina with shades of red and amber, particularly evident in their necks and cheeks.