Sculpture, Madonna in preghiera - 33 cm - Earthenware - 1950

A refined devotional wall sculpture depicting the face of the Virgin Mary in prayer, with hands joined and a golden halo.

Origin and artisanal manufacture:
As befits the noble tradition of Italian sacred art, this piece was made in the late 1940s inside an artisan workshop specialized in such works. The edition of these pieces was quite limited, and the true value lay in the production process: after the basic terracotta shaping with a hollow interior, each individual piece was revisited, finished by hand, and inspected by the master artisan, making every specimen unique in its details and nuances.

It still features the original metal wire hook embedded in the clay for wall hanging.

Polychromy and finish:
The decoration was done with a preparatory base (engobe) and polychromy applied entirely by hand with a brush, in elegant tones of light blue for the mantle, a fair complexion, and a gold/bronze finish for the halo.

Condition:
The object presents good structural condition, intact and free of breaks or through cracks. It shows a beautiful patina of age with the usual signs of time: small superficial chips on the paint, wear on the edges, and old chromatic touch-ups preserved (visible especially on the base and the reverse), which attest to the piece’s authenticity and history.

Please examine the photographic gallery carefully, which is an integral part of the lot description.

The sculpture preserves its original brush-applied polychromy, with the possibility that some details or areas (such as the base and parts of the mantle) were partially touched up or refreshed by hand in later years to preserve its devotional appearance. It shows slight wear, minor surface chips, and a charming patina of time that confirm its age and actual use.