Portrait, Literature, Shakespeare, Sculpture, Wood, English, Early 20th C.

Shakespeare Profile Bust and Inkwell
English: Early 20th Century
Walnut, carved
14 inches high, 12 wide, 5 inches deep
$975

A hand-carved walnut wood portrait bust of the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616) in profile, incorporating an inkwell. The great dramatist is portrayed in the act of writing, looking down at a page, with his right hand holding a quill pen. The unusual and inventive composition has his head and hand emerging from the right-angled base with curved edges in the Art Nouveau style. In the corner of the base in front of his hand, the bust incorporates a shallow enclosure supporting a small rectangular glass inkwell and in the center a carved channel for holding a pen. The front of the base is carved with his name in upper case lettering. The bust has a flat back. This could be attractively displayed on a desk, bookshelf, or as a large bookend.

Condition: Generally very good overall with the usual wear.