A striking pair of vintage alabaster cockatoo bookends, hand carved with elegant crests, long feathered tails and beautifully subtle pale green colouring.
Each bird is sculpted from creamy white alabaster with soft mint-green shading concentrated along the tail, underside and feet. Tiny yellow inset eyes and grey-toned beaks add just enough colour while preserving the pair's wonderfully restrained appearance. Their substantial stepped stone bases allow them to function as bookends while making them equally appealing as standalone decorative sculptures.
Comparable carved alabaster bird bookends are consistently identified as Italian, including mid-century examples with similar sculptural construction and colouring. The exact maker of this pair is not identified, so I would describe them as Italian alabaster rather than attaching an unsupported maker attribution.
The pair has especially good decorative presence at approximately 8 inches tall and looks beautiful flanking books on a shelf, console or library table.
Details:
• Era: Circa 1950s–1960s
• Material: Carved alabaster
• Condition: Good vintage condition with age-related surface wear, small marks and minor edge losses consistent with age; please review photographs
• Dimensions: Approx. 8 in H × 5 in W × 5.25 in D each
• Sold as: Pair
A striking pair of vintage alabaster cockatoo bookends, hand carved with elegant crests, long feathered tails and beautifully subtle pale green colouring.
Each bird is sculpted from creamy white alabaster with soft mint-green shading concentrated along the tail, underside and feet. Tiny yellow inset eyes and grey-toned beaks add just enough colour while preserving the pair's wonderfully restrained appearance. Their substantial stepped stone bases allow them to function as bookends while making them equally appealing as standalone decorative sculptures.
Comparable carved alabaster bird bookends are consistently identified as Italian, including mid-century examples with similar sculptural construction and colouring. The exact maker of this pair is not identified, so I would describe them as Italian alabaster rather than attaching an unsupported maker attribution.
The pair has especially good decorative presence at approximately 8 inches tall and looks beautiful flanking books on a shelf, console or library table.
Details:
• Era: Circa 1950s–1960s
• Material: Carved alabaster
• Condition: Good vintage condition with age-related surface wear, small marks and minor edge losses consistent with age; please review photographs
• Dimensions: Approx. 8 in H × 5 in W × 5.25 in D each
• Sold as: Pair
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