Surreal Sculpture By Robert Barley

Sculpture depicting a spooky character created from salvaged materials, mainly bone and ivory. The carved ivory head is topped with a finely chiseled silver metal helmet, decorated with crustacean legs, mother-of-pearl, small pearls and gilded cornet bodies. The body of the character is created from bones and braided cord. The set is based on three pieces of trimmings joined by turned ivory. Ivory plate base on four feet ivory balls. Height of the sculpture 31 cm. Work protected by a casing in mahogany and glass. Formwork: height 34 cm, width 23.5, depth 16 cm.

Unique piece created in 2010 by Robert Barley, born September 1, 1945 in Lowestoft, England, deceased, he was an artist, self-taught antique dealer, collector and passionate about objets d'art.
On September 21, 2018, more than 500 lots in his collection were offered at a large public auction in London.
Robert Barley began carving in the 80s, inspired by visiting artist friends in South Africa. He sculpts natural products often with precious stones. He likes to make curiosities. His ideas often come from his dreams, he writes them and then sculpts them.

According to an article by TW Gaze published on September 11, 2018: "Robert Barley was totally self-taught about ancient artifacts, works of art and collectibles. He had a diverse and eclectic interest in objects from all over the world and was "sensitive to the spirit of an object more than its academic importance; he seemed to have a sensitivity for things. " During his trading days, Robert was wholly based in London, including a booth on Saturday at the Portobello Road Market and his famous store located just off Fulham Palace Road (part of the oasis and part of the cave Aladdin), as well as selection committees of several major international antique fairs in London. He has also participated in fairs in London and his unique multicultural exhibition has always attracted attention: his stand is a place not to be missed. Robert's business cards always had the words "Never Boring" and it is this subtext that defines an auction of items from his personal collections and his stock collections that will take place in the auction houses. TW Gaze Diss Friday, September 21st. More than 500 lots of paintings, sculptures, furniture, textiles, architectural elements and artifacts representing more than 2,000 years of global culture will be available for sale as part of a tailor-made event in the newly constructed Waveney Hall on Roydon Road. , in Diss County, Norfolk. "

"Robert was born on September 1, 1945, the third of four children, Andy Jones writes. He attended Dartford Grammar school where he was befriended by Mick Jagger – who was so impressed by Robert’s ability to play two recorders simultaneously that he invited Robert to join his band!
However, quickly bored by this, Robert moved on to become an active member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).
On leaving school he worked in various jobs but soon developed his love of buying at jumble sales and bric-a-brac stalls into his means of earning a living. I remember him telling me that he started with a suitcase to carry his goods in and £20 that he borrowed from his father.
Robert began trading at the Royal Standard in Blackheath, then at theCaledonian Road Market, eventually opening his shop in Fulham High Street. He also took a stand atPortobello Road Marketwhere he continued to trade until early this year.
Besides being a leading antique dealer (‘antique royalty’, according to a recent TV show), he was a fine artist, producing extraordinary surrealist sculptures from found objects, precious stones and deconstructed antiques.
Robert was a leading exhibitor at many of the London fairs and was on the vetting committee at Olympia and Battersea. He would often wear extraordinary outfits at these venues which would cause almost as much interest as his stock. His absence at future events will be sorely felt by his colleagues."