American Porcelain Child with Blonde Braids by Martha Thompson

Live Auction

11" (28 cm.) Hand-sculpted porcelain shoulder head depicting a young girl with shyly-inclined face,painted brown eyes,red and black upper eyeliner,aquiline nose,closed mouth with shy smile,having sculpted light brown/blonde hair arranged with asymmetrical part and long braids that are drawn around the front of her face and captured at the crown by a sculpted large rose bow,muslin body,porcelain limbs,painted flat black shoes,wearing artist-made dainty sheer muslin dress with embroidery and cut-work. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: MDTÕ56 (head) Martha D. Thompson (body). Comments: the pre-eminent American artist,Martha Thompson,created a series of fashion ladies and children,inspired by 19th century fashion engraving; each was individually made and they are extremely rare. Value Points: enchanting portrait of mid-19th century child whose exactitude of modeling and painting is rivaled only by her rarity.