Finely detailed carving original black paint of a bust carving of Marquis de Lafayette American, first quarter 19th century. The face is very accurately carved with defined facial features. His hair has up-turned waves on both sides of his head. He is wearing a long double-breasted jacket with gilded buttons on each side of the jacket. He has a finely carved ascot around his neck. At the end of the jacket the sleeves roll back and are finely carved. Both hands are rendered with fine detail and in his right hand he is holding a carved scrowl with the engraved inscription "Lafayette" in script. The scroll has some gilded embellishments. The back of the carving is flat and shows the natural American pine. Mounted on the back is a possibly original hanging hook.
Condition. The carving has a few scattered paint losses with a nice even crackle original paint surface. There is a typical age crack going down the right Arm into the sleeve.
Dimensions: Height 16 ½, Width 10 ½, Depth 9, Inches
Provonance: From the collection of Fred Gardner noted collector scholar from Nantucket.
1925-2021.
Note: Marquis de La Fayette[a] (French: 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette was a French nobleman and military officer who volunteered to join the Continental Army, led by General George Washington, in the American Revolutionary War. Lafayette was ultimately permitted to command Continental Army troops in the decisive Siege of Yorktown in 1781, the Revolutionary War's final major battle that secured American independence. After returning to France, Lafayette became a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830 and continues to be celebrated
