Bookends (2) - Alabaster, Marble - Horse Heads





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Two alabaster horse-head bookends from Spain, dating to 1960–1970, each carved in alabaster with a central marble base, dimensions 20 cm wide, 18 cm high, 10 cm deep.
Description from the seller
They are two bookends that breathe that warm, somewhat theatrical charm of the second half of the 20th century, when alabaster came back into fashion in home décor for its inner light and its silky touch. Each horse head is carved in alabaster, with that soft veining that seems to move beneath the surface and bring to life the manes, the arc of the neck, and the animal’s calm expression. The carving does not seek extreme realism, but restrained elegance: clean lines, clearly defined volumes, and a noble profile that recalls classical equestrian figures reinterpreted for a modern home.
The alabaster, with its honey tone and its translucencies, captures light in almost sculptural fashion, creating a play of shadows that enhances the horse’s features. Between both heads rises the central block that acts as a stop for the books, forming a balanced and highly decorative composition.
The marble base, denser and opaque, provides the necessary weight and a perfect contrast: the cool solidity of marble supports the warm luminosity of alabaster. That dialogue between materials is typical of mid-20th-century decorative pieces, designed to be functional but also to stand out on a shelf or sideboard.
Overall, they are presence-filled bookends, the kind that not only perform their function but also add character to any library.
Tracked shipping and careful packaging.
Seller's Story
They are two bookends that breathe that warm, somewhat theatrical charm of the second half of the 20th century, when alabaster came back into fashion in home décor for its inner light and its silky touch. Each horse head is carved in alabaster, with that soft veining that seems to move beneath the surface and bring to life the manes, the arc of the neck, and the animal’s calm expression. The carving does not seek extreme realism, but restrained elegance: clean lines, clearly defined volumes, and a noble profile that recalls classical equestrian figures reinterpreted for a modern home.
The alabaster, with its honey tone and its translucencies, captures light in almost sculptural fashion, creating a play of shadows that enhances the horse’s features. Between both heads rises the central block that acts as a stop for the books, forming a balanced and highly decorative composition.
The marble base, denser and opaque, provides the necessary weight and a perfect contrast: the cool solidity of marble supports the warm luminosity of alabaster. That dialogue between materials is typical of mid-20th-century decorative pieces, designed to be functional but also to stand out on a shelf or sideboard.
Overall, they are presence-filled bookends, the kind that not only perform their function but also add character to any library.
Tracked shipping and careful packaging.

