Gaspard On His Elephant Bringing Myrrh, Neapolitan Santon Early Nineteenth

Superb Neapolitan santon representing Gaspard one of the three king mage on his elephant bringing myrrh for the birth of the baby Jesus.
Gaspard appears here as a white haired old man and represents the Persian Empire.
it is a magnificent Neapolitan Santon dating from the 1st half of the 19th century.
gaspard is therefore finely worked and painted terracotta, a work of great precision.
his body and clothes are made of fabrics: silk and embroidered velvet, he wears a large turban.
in his left hand he holds a stick with an ivory pommel, which he uses to drive his elephant, a finely worked ankus or mahogany hook.
in his left hand he is carrying a metal vial containing myrrh.
His elephant is entirely sculpted in painted terracotta and his eyes are made of glass, of sulfide which gives him a very realistic appearance.
it has a whole bag of fabrics embroidered with pearls and removable glassware.
he is in full movement as in life. it rests on a wooden and terracotta base covered with fabric and foam.
there is some wear due to friction on the patina of the elephant and a small chip on the left ear very little visible.
certain fabrics, mainly silks, which have lost some of their color.
a magnificent scene full of life, very beautiful and very colorful where Gaspard appears in majesty, a very beautiful work of Neapolitan santon perhaps from a great epiphany scene. we deliver and ship anywhere in the world, please contact us for an accurate quote.