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Bust - Female head; Unknown woman, based on the antique Zingara

Female head; Unknown woman, based on the antique Zingara

  • Object:

    Bust

  • Place of origin:

    England, Great Britain (made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1750 - ca. 1760 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    White marble head on black marble base

  • Museum number:

    A.1-1944

  • Gallery location:

    On loan

  • Image unavailable

This head is of a classical type with hair adorned by a jewelled headdress bound with a scarf that passes under the chin and braided at the back. Below the throat there is the edge of a draped garment with a band passing over the right shoulder.

This bust of an unknown woman is based on the antique Zingara or gipsy which is now in the Louvre collection and displayed at Versailles. This figure was widely reproduced in marble as well as biscuit porcelain, earthenware and plaster casts, up until the mid-nineteenth century. It was in the collection of Lord Boston and was probably formerly owned by his ancestor Sir William Irby.
Despite the signature there is nothing stylistically to suggest that this is the work of Roubiliac.

Physical description

Female head, white marble on a black marble base. The head is of classical type. The hair which is adorned with a jewelled headdress and bound with a scarf that passes under the chin is braided at the back. Below the throat there is the edge of a draped garment with a band passing over the right shoulder. Roubiliac incised on the back. Black marble base is slightly chipped.

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (made)

Date

ca. 1750 - ca. 1760 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

White marble head on black marble base

Marks and inscriptions

'ROUBILIAC SC'

Dimensions

Height: 44.5 cm with base

Object history note

Given with A.2-1944 by Dr W. Hildburgh, F.S. Both were acquired from Alfred Spero. They formerly belonged to Lord Boston, to whose ancestor Sir William Irby creasted first Lord Boston in 1761 they may have belonged.

Descriptive line

Bust, marble, unknown woman, based on the antique Zingara, by an unknown artist, English, ca. 1750-1760

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Haskell, F and Penny, N. Taste and the Antique New Haven and London, 1981, pp.339-341 and fig. 180.
Bilbey, Diane with Trusted, Marjorie. British Sculpture 1470 to 2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: V& A Publications, 2002. pp. 168. cat. no. 229.

Materials

White marble; Black marble

Subjects depicted

Head

Categories

Portraits; Sculpture

Collection code

SCP

Qr_O313414
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