Ivory Group Depicting Two Elegant Children

Austria or Germany, Central European workshops, ca. 1840–1860

Carved, engraved and pierced ivory; turned and decorated base

Total height: 21 cm
WITH CITES

Refined ivory sculpture depicting a tender pair of children in elegant walking attire. The girl wears a wide-brimmed bonnet and a finely layered dress, holding a basket filled with roses. The boy, proudly offering his arm, wears a high hat and a double-breasted coat, holding a walking stick.
Carved in the round and resting on a finely turned and ornamented circular base, the sculpture showcases superb craftsmanship, with intricate detailing in both ornamental elements and facial expressions, imbued with idealized sweetness.
For its style, subject matter and technical execution, this work is attributable to Austrian or German workshops active between 1840 and 1860, particularly in the Erzgebirge region (Saxony) or Vienna, both known for exquisite ivory carvings made for aristocratic or bourgeois collectors. Although it may evoke the French school of Dieppe, the composition, base design, and stylistic traits strongly suggest a Central European origin.