{"product_id":"17th-century-continental-alabaster-portrait-bust-of-a-gentleman","title":"Large 17th Century Continental Antique Alabaster Portrait Bust of a Gentleman","description":"\u003cp\u003eA rare and evocative late 17th-century Continental carved alabaster portrait bust of a gentleman, circa 1660–1700, probably Flemish or Spanish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sitter is portrayed with a gently rounded, youthful face beneath heavy lappets of hair falling in thick waves to curled terminals at either shoulder, a fashion firmly of the third quarter of the 17th century. He wears a doublet with a standing collar and close-set buttons, the breast finely worked with trailing embroidered or frogged decoration, and a broad sash passing diagonally from the right shoulder — the dress of a man of rank, possibly with military or courtly associations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe alabaster displays the honey-amber veining and translucent banding characteristic of the material, with genuine age evidenced throughout: craquelure to the crown, granular weathering to the face, and scattered surface losses revealing the whiter stone beneath. Far from detracting, this untouched surface is the piece's guarantee — degradation of this character cannot be convincingly faked and distinguishes the genuine 17th-century article from later pastiche. Carved from a single block; head and torso are of one piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePortrait busts of this period in alabaster rarely survive outside institutional collections, and rarer still in private hands. A commanding presence for a period interior, library, or hall — a true collector's sculpture with over three centuries of history in its surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance: \u003c\/strong\u003eContinental. 17th-Century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Alabaster\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition: \u003c\/strong\u003ePlease refer to the description above and the images.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 20 in high x 17 in wide (51 cm x 43 cm)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Holt Antiques at Walsingham Mill ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54812543156566,"sku":"HAF7408","price":3950.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0782\/7462\/5878\/files\/rn-image_picker_lib_temp_1af6619d-020f-4119-9082-e6b00e43b257.jpg?v=1784974633","url":"https:\/\/holtantiquefurniture.com\/products\/17th-century-continental-alabaster-portrait-bust-of-a-gentleman","provider":"Holt Antiques at Walsingham Mill ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}