Bust of a Girl

A private client presented an earthenware sculpture of a girl or young woman with a brownish-gray finish. Her curly hair is held back with a fillet and she wears a gathered blouse and a bodice laced with a bow - an 18th century costume? The stylized pillar supporting her is attached to a tiered marble base. Purchased through an auction house, the sculpture arrived broken and the owner questioned if it was even salvageable. Some of the fragments no longer fit together snugly (= "sprung") which is a common occurrence when ceramics break. Low fired wares tend to be "forgiving" and the treatment included sealing break surfaces, adhering fragments back together, filling losses and toning fills.