✨ Open to Reasonable Offers! ✨
This beautiful historic piece is priced to reflect its antique condition. Feel free to use the "Submit Offer" button—all fair offers are considered. It will be professionally packed and fully insured via USPS for safe transit!
Overview
Up for sale is a beautiful, authentic late 19th-century French Vieux Paris (Old Paris) unglazed biscuit porcelain statuette depicting the Madonna and Child. Because this piece has not been glazed, it features a highly desirable, soft matte finish resembling carved marble, allowing the exceptionally fine drapery work and serene facial expressions to stand out beautifully without any distracting shine.
Maker Marks & Authentication
This piece is fully documented and signed, making it highly collectible:
- Underside: Features the crisp, impressed factory cartouche mark "ML" for the renowned Mauger & Letu workshop of L'Isle-Adam, France (circa 1880–1890).
- Underside Markings: Original handwritten/incised clay tally marks from the factory kiln master are visible near the vent hole.
Lower Back Base: Clearly stamped with the original factory mold/model number 26.
- Underside Owner Markings: There are faint ink/pencil handwritten markings on the bottom of the base left by a previous owner or estate collector, a common trace of its long history.
Physical Specifications
- Weight: 31 ounces (approx. 1.9 lbs / 880 grams) — Confirms authentic, lightweight hollow-cast antique porcelain, not a heavy modern resin, porcelain compound, or plaster replica.
- Finish: Original unglazed matte bisque.
Detailed Condition Report (Please Read)
This statue is in good antique condition with gorgeous character, showing honest signs of its 140+ year history. Please review the photos carefully as they serve as part of the description:
- Front Chip/Loss: There is an old, historic chip on the Child Jesus's left forearm/hand area where a small object (likely a symbolic bird, cross, or sacred heart) has snapped off over time. The broken area has naturally darkened with age.
- Factory Kiln Lines: There is a minor horizontal firing line across the back of the Virgin's veil. This is a factory-original stress flaw from the drying/firing process, not a modern fracture or repair.
- Mineral Spots: Small, dark iron inclusions are visible on the surface. These are permanent, original kiln spots caused by trace minerals in 19th-century French clay.
- Underside Base Markings: Contains handwriting/marks on the bottom porcelain rim from a previous owner, as noted above.
- Surface: The statue retains its original unglazed matte surface with a beautiful patina. Light surface dust and soot have settled into the deep folds of the drapery from decades of home display; it is being sold exactly as found to preserve its antique integrity.
Shipping & Handling
The statue will be packed with extreme care using heavy-duty bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and a sturdy box to ensure safe transit. Fully insured shipping with tracking.