Fine terracotta caricature bust by Johann Maresch, Austro-Hungarian end of 19th century.

Austria, around 1890.

A fine late 19th-century Austrian polychrome terracotta desk valet, crafted by the famed manufacture Johann Maresch in Aussig, Bohemia (Austro-Hungarian Empire). Modeled with a lively sense of humor, this characterful piece depicts a man with a dashing handlebar mustache, long dark hair, and a sly, expressive smirk. Expertly cold-painted, the figure displays remarkable detail in its warm flesh tones and vivid facial features, quintessential of Maresch’s celebrated caricature work. The open-top hollow design originally served to hold pipes / cigars, making it an extraordinary decorative accent for a library, study, or executive desk today. The base retains the impressed factory mark JM with the anchor emblem, alongside the model number 3293.

6” – 15 CM H 5,5” – 14 CM L 5,75” – 14,5 CM D

REF: M3075