L. LUGERTH - Arthur Rubinstein

(1885 - 1915)

Weight: 2687.3 g. Estimated ivory weight: 40 g

depicts an aristocratic or bourgeois woman of the period, dressed in a long, richly decorated overcoat with floral motifs, fitted to the bust and flared at the skirt, in full Belle Époque style. The pose is elegant and composed, with a clearly visible book held in the left hand, a detail that enriches the narrative of the work and suggests a moment of reflection or interrupted reading. The face, carved in ivory with great delicacy, is turned slightly upwards, with a dreamy or contemplative expression. The head is covered by a scarf (or thin scarf) knotted under the chin, an element that accentuates the discreet elegance of the figure and recalls the female fashion of the Belle Époque era.
Ferdinand Lugerth was a sculptor active between the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, of whom we have limited but recognisable information through his signed works, created with a combination of bronze and ivory, a technique known as chryselephantine, a style that was particularly in vogue during the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods, especially in areas of central Europe, such as Austria and Germany. Lugerth fits into the tradition of those artists who celebrated the female figure through an elegant and refined, often idealised aesthetic. His sculptures depict women in fashionable dress, immersed in everyday gestures or in contemplative attitudes.

This lot, accompanied by a CITES certificate and expertise issued by Ce.S.Ar Centro studi archeometici, is only available for sale with shipments within the European Union. (expertise Ce.S.Ar. 2025-100)