Black Basalt Bust of Queen Elizabeth II
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Sinister - The words dexter and sinister are commonly used in heraldry, but have a more general application in the world of antiques and collectables (mainly sculpture and numismatics) to describe the position of the head of the subject. Dexter, which is Latin for right means the subject is looking to their right, while sinister, which is Latin for left, means the subject is looking to their left.
- Basalt - Basalt is a hard, dense volcanic rock formed from the rapid cooling of basaltic lava, and makes up most of the earth's oceanic crust.
However it is also the name given by Josiah Wedgwood in 1768 to a fine black unglazed porcelain which he called Wedgwood Black Basalt.
Using this fine-grained stoneware he was able to produce copies of the newly excavated Etruscan pottery from Italy, with a lustrous and smooth, surface, and this new innovation proved to be a huge commercial success.
This item has been included into following indexes:
-
Wedgwood (England), item types
- black basalt ware 162
- busts and figurines 119
Visually similar items
A Continental marble bust of Marie Antoinette, 19th century, realistically modelled, wearing a locket depicting her husband, Louis XVI, unsigned, 52.5 cm high
A Copeland Parian ware bust of Princess Alexandra, artist's signature and Art Union inscription to back, raised on socle plinth base. Height 39.5 cm
A Royal Doulton black basalt ware bust commemorating the wedding of HM Queen Elizabeth II 1972 edition No. 655, 28 cm high
Wedgwood bust, limited edition, model 611, the Princess Anne, height 26 cm