German, late 17th/ early 18th century

Overall the condition of the ivory is very good with some minor wear consistent with age. There is a restoration to the thumb of proper left hand. There are some naturally occuring fissures to the ivory including a vertical one to the left shoulder. There is some minor dirt in the crevices. The small holes on the torso and leg are original and would have originally held arrows, now lost.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This intriguing ivory figure of St Sebastian recalls the work of the South German Baroque sculptors Georg Petel (1601- c. 1634) and Adam Lenckhard (1610-1661). The almost skeletal thorax compares with works such as Petel's Flagellation in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (Krempel and Söding, op. cit. no. 9, pl. 4). The face, with its furrowed brow, is imbued with a level of emotional and dramatic realism reminiscent of Petel's Crucifix in the Schatzkammer der Residenz in Munich (inv. no. 157). Figures such as Adam Lenckhard's St Sebastian in the collection of the Princes of Liechtenstein (inv. no. 306) exhibits similarly wasted musculature and a particular emphasis on the ribcage framing the fleshy abdomen. The empty cuirass and other spolia in the present ivory are reminiscent of Perseus' armour in Lenckhardt's Perseus and Andromeda in the Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe (inv. no. 61/23).

RELATED LITERATURE
R. Baumstark and P. Volk (eds.), Apoll Schindet Marsyas. Über das Schreckliche in der Kunst. Adam Lenckhardts Elfenbeingruppe, Munich, 1995, pp. 132-3, 204-7, nos. 15 and 31; P. Malgouyres, Ivoires de la Renaissance et des Temps modernes. La collection du musée du Louvre, Paris, 2010, pp. 34-5, no 11; L. Krempel and U. Söding, Georg Petel. Neue Forschungen, Berlin and Munich, 2009, nos. 9, 28, pls. 4, 6; K. Feuchtmayr and A. Schädler, Georg Petel 1601/2-1634, Berlin, 1973, pp. 85, 88-90, 97-8, nos. 3, 6 and 13, figs. 6, 7, 18, 19 and 50