Henri Plé

Sotheby's London, 25 April 2006, lot 208

The vogue for Orientalism brought a highly creative response in sculpture. At the Paris Salon and International Exhibitions sculptors took the opportunity to render the luxuriant treatment of Middle Eastern costumes and accoutrements, such as guns and daggers which feature prominently in the present work. The subject-matter perfectly matched the introduction of multi-coloured patinas to pick out the vivid contrasts and exotic details. This statue of Le Mahdi combines such polychromy together with silvering and gilding, recalling the damascening technique long used by Middle Eastern weapon makers.