Attributed To Thomas-victor Sergent – Young African Boy Riding A Turtle – Polychrome Earthenware

Attributed to Thomas-Victor Sergent – Young African Boy Riding a Turtle – Polychrome earthenware – 19th century

A striking polychrome glazed earthenware sculpture depicting a young African boy sitting on the back of an imposing turtle.

The figure, rendered in deep brown tones, contrasts with the animal’s shell, which is brought to life by polychrome glazes in shades of ochre, yellow, blue, and red. The turtle’s head and legs, meanwhile, feature beautiful green and speckled tones.

In terms of its modeling, its particularly vivid palette of glazes, its subject matter, and its dimensions, this sculpture bears a resemblance to the works of Thomas-Victor Sergent, a Parisian ceramicist from the second half of the 19th century and a leading figure in the revival of ceramics in the style of Bernard Palissy.

A comparable model depicting figures riding turtles, 22 cm tall, is documented in the work of Thomas-Victor Sergent and dated to around 1870–1880.

Since our example bears no signature or visible mark, we cautiously attribute it to Thomas-Victor Sergent.

École de Paris, circa 1870–1880.
Polychrome glazed earthenware.
Height: 23 cm.