Alder wood, carved
France
around 1920
51 x 17 x 7 cm

Provenance: Paolo Morigi Collection, Lugano

Manikins have been known since antiquity, when they were probably clothed and served as movable children's toys, as puppets and very probably also as cult objects. The first literary mention of these figures can be found in the Trattato dell'architettura by Antonio Filarete around 1460. Well-known studies of jointed figures can also often be found in the drawings of Albrecht Dürer.

Since the 18th century, they have mostly been used as models for artists, as an aid in anatomical drawings and paintings.

The jointed limbs of the manikin presented here were made by hand from pine wood. Over time, the wood has aged beautifully, giving the grain a rich, warm tone.

See also lot 1861 and 1900