Circa 1903 roundel with a deep relief female portrait bust wearing long hair, a necklace and lace garment, laurel and oak leaves flank the figure, each element has a symbolic meaning and purpose. The laurel leaves symbolize victory while the oak leaves symbolize strength. So this female figure was associated with victory and strength. Terracotta 25″ across, purchased from an antique store on Bleecker Street in 2009 for $1350. The roundel, which was salvaged in the 1950s from the Lower East Side was probably from a tenement East of Avenue D when the city built the “Projects,” originally she likely had a separate border made of six sections.…
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Sculpture of the week (January 7th, 2020)
Grotesque Keystone Nr 285 Kiln Fired Terracotta The keystone that provided the original to make the mold from came from 705 -707 East 5th Street, Manhattan, pictured below in 1975; The original ca 1905 keystone was made from white terracotta and just the grotesque mask upper half was used; Like the original, my red terracotta is hand-pressed and kiln fired, these can be used outdoors in the garden or built into a brick or stone wall. The entire block of buildings on East 5th Street was demolished in the 1980s. To purchase one of my kiln fired keystones; Grotesque Keystone Nr 285 Kiln Fired Terracotta Copyright © 2020 Randall’s…