Topic: ID Help - encapsulated metal figure

[tropdevin]

**

Hi.  I would be grateful for any thoughts on whom the lady portrayed in this paperweight might be.  Is she a classical figure, or a contemporary member of royalty?  I have no idea.

The paperweight is near magnum size, and the head appears to be a metal moulding.  The canes are interesting - they match those from an unknown European factory, which I suspect is Belgian.  Together with another collector I have written an article (which will appear in next year's PCA Bulletin) about the diverse range of paperweights made by this factory - these may include the 'doorknobs', the attribution of which has led to much debate over the years .  I have only just got this paperweight, so it will not feature in the article.

Alan

[bat20]

Like that a lot....I have'nt got a clue on the identity,stab in the dark Maria Teresa of Austrian??

[flying free]

OH looked and said Tibet.

Tibetans seem to me to have stunningly beautiful faces -  very symmetrical and perfectly proportioned.

Didn't Belgium have some enclave in China at some point?

m

[Lustrousstone]

She hasn't got Tibetan hair - it's curled

[flying free]

yes that's true - think he thought it was a headdress

She is very beautiful though.

m

[w8happiness]

Hi Alan, hello to all participants,

a wonderful and unusual example; the connection with Belgium is rather convincing, I wonder if the material is really metal or plaster of Paris with surface Treatment that Looks like metal (would the glass stand the different contraction index of metal?)

I have not found any real Person that could fit, I am sure it is not the Empress Maria Theresia, she  was only shown veiled after death of her husband, Franz Stefan von Lothringen, and any use for depicting had to follow a strict Codex how and what- the way around was to use Portraits taken from coins or medals...

 so my best guess - and that's consistent with Belgium and the hair deco and jewellery- would be the
mythological (Bible) Queen of Saba... other guess is "Lady Fortune"- but where are her fitting attributes- wheel, 4 leaf clover...?
There are other biblical themes shown in Belgian weights, such as Saints and related...   

Other arguments: the "crown" has ornaments from the "second Rococo"- Shells, Rocailles, twisted ribbons- and those are later reworked for Art Deco (Jugendstil)-
the earrings and the Collier are clearly "middle East" or "Egypt" influenced- there was a rising interest in Egyptian and biblical history, beginning with Napoleons campaign there and finding a summit a bit later with finding Tut Ankh Amuns mask and grave...

So my vote: Queen of Saba,

Kind regards Erhard

[tropdevin]

***

Hi Erhard.  I had felt there was something 'Egyptian' about the appearance - the Queen of Sheba may well be the answer.  Many thanks.

Alan

[w8happiness]

Hi Alan,

always welcome. I had a quick check and found that there was a "femme fatale" around the 1860ies, world famous actress and dancer,
Sarah Bernhardt- she had relations to Belgium, but all the iconographic details are not convincing enough to decide for sure it is her portrait.
There are many photographs of the actress around, so any missing or wrong Detail would have been noticed in public,
there is no such danger if a mythological figure is chosen...

So I would rather stay with the interpretation as Queen of Sheba, Kind regards Erhard

[flying free]

well I'm sure it can't be, but she looks very like Lillian Russell
especially in a photo that has been pinned on pinterest (can't access it as I don't subscribe) in a headdress.

If you put your weight and that photo side by side her face is the same.

Sarah Bernhardt I agree definitely not.  The face shape is completely different and the proportions vertically between nose to upper lip etc are not the same.

The picture I'm referring to comes up 7th row down on this link - in the middle ish.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?tbm=isch&q=lilian+russell&imgrc=WU7fFloergVzQM%3A&ei=EIo_Vs2DBMK0eIrKi6AD&emsg=NCSR&noj=1

image url here but I'm not sure this will work
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/97/60/2c/97602cf7daf5a970bdd9d47779ca1753.jpg
m

[flying free]

nope - scrub that please - Lillian Russell does look just like your badge lady except her ears are not the same at all, unless it was done deliberately if she was in costume representing some historical figure.
m