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ID #SA556817
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£4,500
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Portrait Bust of Sappho C.1900 by Hl Blasche for Reps & Trinte
Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art
for sale €5,265     $5,715
£4,500
Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art

Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art

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    Roy and nadine precious: specialists in portraiture from the 16th to the 20th century. Established in 1972.
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Portrait Bust of Sappho C.1900 by Hl Blasche for Reps & Trinte

1900 - 1920
Description

A superb and rare terracotta Art Nouveau portrait bust of Sappho, the famous Ancient Greek poetess, sculpted by HL Blasche. There are plaster versions of this sculpture, but the terracotta ones are most uncommon.

Sappho was greatly loved for her personification of love and affection, and her creativity. Her poetry was so rhythmical, usually accompanied by music and dance, that it gained the reputation for being the Divine Inspiration of the Muses.

She was born on the Aegean island of Lesbos

about 615 BC. To the Greeks Homer was the Poet and Sappho was the Poetess. Plato called her The Tenth Muse.

Those who know the language of ancient Greece have long ago convinced us that much of the beauty of Greek lyric verse is lost in English translation.

The Greeks' appreciation of the poetry of Sappho gave her the recognition as one of the greatest of women poets and the greatest of all lyric poets.

She was married and the mother of a child but her poetry reveals her sexual attraction to women. Our English word for sexual love between women is derived from Lesbos the name of the island where Sappho lived. Her imagery and the intensity of her poetry transcends sexual reference; it is poetry lifted to an ethereal plane. It is said that Sappho's use of every word has a perfection and inimitable grace.

This bust, 24 inches tall, beautifully sculpted and painted, was made by Reps & Trinte of Magdeburg, Saxony in c. 1900. It bears their pre 1910 mark; 'R & T Mgdbg Gesetzl Geschibz'.

The company was founded by Carl Reps in 1889 and made artworks in terracotta, marble and bronze. They exhibited at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904.

SIZE: 24 inches tall.

PROVENANCE: In a Yorkshire Private collection since 1973.

Physical Dimensions
Height
61cm (24.02")
Width
44cm (17.32")
Depth
22cm (8.66")
Declaration

Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art has dated this Art Nouveau Sappho Bust to the 1900s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA556817
Dealers Internal Reference
lyric
Description
A superb and rare terracotta Art Nouveau portrait bust of Sappho, the famous Ancient Greek poetess, sculpted by HL Blasche. There are plaster versions of this sculpture, but the terracotta ones are most uncommon.

Sappho was greatly loved for her personification of love and affection, and her creativity.

“
Her poetry was so rhythmical, usually accompanied by music and dance, that it gained the reputation for being the Divine Inspiration of the Muses.
Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art
fig 1. An Art Nouveau sculpted portrait bust of the poet Sappho featuring dark bronzed drapery, warm ochre skin tones, and the inscription SAPPHO across the plinth.
fig 1. Portrait Bust of Sappho C.1900 by Hl Blasche for Reps & Trinte

She was born on the Aegean island of Lesbos

about 615 BC. To the Greeks Homer was the Poet and Sappho was the Poetess. Plato called her The Tenth Muse.

Those who know the language of ancient Greece have long ago convinced us that much of the beauty of Greek lyric verse is lost in English translation.

fig 2. An Art Nouveau sculpted portrait bust of the poet Sappho featuring dark bronzed drapery, warm ochre skin tones, and the inscription SAPPHO across the plinth.
fig 2. Portrait Bust of Sappho C.1900 by Hl Blasche for Reps & Trinte

The Greeks' appreciation of the poetry of Sappho gave her the recognition as one of the greatest of women poets and the greatest of all lyric poets.

She was married and the mother of a child but her poetry reveals her sexual attraction to women. Our English word for sexual love between women is derived from Lesbos the name of the island where Sappho lived. Her imagery and the intensity of her poetry transcends sexual reference; it is poetry lifted to an ethereal plane. It is said that Sappho's use of every word has a perfection and inimitable grace.

fig 3. An Art Nouveau sculpted portrait bust of the poet Sappho featuring dark bronzed drapery, warm ochre skin tones, and the inscription SAPPHO across the plinth.
fig 3. Portrait Bust of Sappho C.1900 by Hl Blasche for Reps & Trinte

This bust, 24 inches tall, beautifully sculpted and painted, was made by Reps & Trinte of Magdeburg, Saxony in c. 1900. It bears their pre 1910 mark; 'R & T Mgdbg Gesetzl Geschibz'.

The company was founded by Carl Reps in 1889 and made artworks in terracotta, marble and bronze. They exhibited at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904.

SIZE: 24 inches tall.

PROVENANCE: In a Yorkshire Private collection since 1973.

Height
61cm (24.02")
Width
44cm (17.32")
Depth
22cm (8.66")
Date of Manufacture

Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art has dated this Art Nouveau Sappho Bust to the 1900s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA556817
Dealers Internal Ref
lyric
Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art
Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art
Sellingantiques verified Since Mar 2003

Roy and nadine precious: specialists in portraiture from the 16th to the 20th century. Established in 1972.

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art Profile Page

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An Art Nouveau sculpted portrait bust of the poet Sappho featuring dark bronzed drapery, warm ochre skin tones, and the inscription SAPPHO across the plinth.
1 / 5
Archive I An Art Nouveau sculpted portrait bust of the poet Sappho featuring dark bronzed drapery, warm ochre skin tones, and the inscription SAPPHO across the plinth.

Portrait Bust of Sappho C.1900 by Hl Blasche for Reps & Trinte

Archive II An Art Nouveau sculpted portrait bust of the poet Sappho featuring dark bronzed drapery, warm ochre skin tones, and the inscription SAPPHO across the plinth. View II
Archive III An Art Nouveau sculpted portrait bust of the poet Sappho featuring dark bronzed drapery, warm ochre skin tones, and the inscription SAPPHO across the plinth. View III
Archive IV An Art Nouveau sculpted portrait bust of the poet Sappho featuring dark bronzed drapery, warm ochre skin tones, and the inscription SAPPHO across the plinth. View IV
Archive V An Art Nouveau sculpted portrait bust of the poet Sappho featuring dark bronzed drapery, warm ochre skin tones, and the inscription SAPPHO across the plinth. View V
Enlarged Archival View
Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art

Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art
Telephone 01249 815048 or 07710 222273
Location
Wiltshire
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/rp
Verified Since Mar 2003
Items For Sale 95
Items Sold 679
Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art
Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art
Verified Since Mar 2003
View Dealer Info
Location: Wiltshire, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/rp
Verified
Mar 2003
For Sale
95
Sold
679
An Art Nouveau sculpted portrait bust of the poet Sappho featuring dark bronzed drapery, warm ochre skin tones, and the inscription SAPPHO across the plinth.
Portrait Bust of Sappho c.1900 by HL Blasche for Reps & Trinte
Ref: SA556817
An Art Nouveau sculpted portrait bust of the poet Sappho featuring dark bronzed drapery, warm ochre skin tones, and the inscription SAPPHO across the plinth.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Archival Detail

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FAQs

Art Nouveau busts from the turn of the twentieth century typically feature naturalistic human forms combined with organic, flowing lines, stylised hair, and references to classical or mythological figures.

Sculptors and manufacturers during this period frequently used terracotta, painted plaster, spelter, and cast bronze, often applying polychrome finishes or patinas to simulate patinated metal or stone.

Authentic period pieces often feature foundry stamps, artist signatures, or manufacturer marks impressed near the base, alongside signs of genuine age such as surface patination and historical wear.

An antique bust functions as a focal point when positioned on a mantelpiece, bookshelf, or sideboard, where ambient lighting highlights its sculptural contours alongside modern literature or minimalist accents.

Dust the surface gently using a soft, dry natural-bristle brush, avoiding water, chemical cleaners, or abrasive polishes that could damage original painted patinas or delicate surface details.
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