Antique Terracotta Roof Tile with Dove from the South of France

This is a beautiful example of a French lucarne, which was recently salvaged from a Chateau in the Ile-De-France region (near Paris). Pieces like this were built into the sides of a ...

Found in a chateau in Loriol du Comtat, in the Provence region of France, this large-scale plaster sculpture is signed and dated by the artist, making it a rare find. Originally part of a boiserie containing a fireplace, the sculpture decorated the main hall of the chateau. The artist, Marius Sain, created the piece for the owners of the chateau in 1914. The lovely depiction of a shepherdess and her flock is a fitting subject for an area of France in which shepherding is such an important part of the culture. The preserved heritage of transhumance in Provence goes back at least 800 years, as evidenced by collections of ancient songs, stories, and art. Life-size in scale, the lovely sculpture features a mix of high-, mid-, and low-relief embellishments. A hooded shepherdess tends to her flock of sheep with a crook in hand. A dog sits calmly at her feet as the flock gathers in front of them. Both the shepherdess and the dog are in high relief, as is the lead sheep. The lamb seen suckling from the front sheep was crafted in mid relief, as is the visible head on the far right of the sculpture. There are a few sheep behind them in low relief. Large trees can be seen on either side of the group, while off in the background (faintly visible) are a castle with four fastigiate Mediterranean cypress trees (known as Stricta) and a spired church. The attention to detail is magnificent, with textured surfaces including the animals’ fur and the uneven ground. Block print on the plaster can be seen at the base. The letters read Le Soir, which is French for “The Night”. The right side of the sculpture has been signed “M Sain 1914”. Marius Joseph Sain was born in 1877 in Avignon, France. In 1902, Sain moved to Paris to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Through introductions by his older brother and painter, Paul...

Crafted in France, circa 1920, this zinc roof finial was repurposed at a later date into an oversized lamp base. The metal has a gray hue but has developed areas of gold and black fr...

These monumental arched antique door shutters were salvaged from a 19th century French chateau. They would have been on the ground floor, attached...

This near pair of wood carving presented on stand was collected from Northern Thailand, late 19th or early 20th century. Such ornaments were used originally to decorate the roof of the transitional buildings in Southeast Asia. They were carved in the lovely Silhouette of Hong bird...

A remarkable pair of rare antique Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) Chinese terracota architectural roof tile beasts. circa 1900 Hand-crafted in Imperial China around the turn of the late 19...

Terra cotta fragment from the facade of the Chicago Stock Exchange. Architect Louis Sullivan. Includes new custom wall mount.

This French terracotta lion's mask was originally an element of a 19th century fountain with water jetting from its mouth. This garden piece is now mounted on a custom iron, making i...