SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL (1874–1965)
A SOLID GOLD MINIATURE BUST BY Oscar Nemon
FOR Asprey & Co., BOND STREET, LONDON, CIRCA 1960
A finely cast solid gold miniature bust of Winston Churchill, with bowed head and resolute expression, the reverse incised NEMON, mounted on a substantial banded malachite plinth. Stamped Asprey & Co.
PROVENANCE
Asprey & Co., Bond Street, London
NOTE
This highly rare example belongs to the most exclusive group of portrait busts produced by Nemon following his appointment as Churchill’s principal sculptor in 1951. Granted exceptional access to the sitter, Nemon achieved what is widely regarded as the most authoritative sculptural interpretation of Churchill’s later life.
Small-scale busts of this model were retailed by Asprey, predominantly in silver; however, examples executed in solid gold were produced only in very limited numbers, almost certainly as presentation pieces, and are exceptionally rare.
The present work captures Nemon’s mature treatment of the subject: the heavy-lidded gaze, deeply modeled brow, and compressed mouth conveying the psychological gravity of Churchill’s wartime leadership. The use of gold heightens the immediacy of the likeness, while the richly veined malachite plinth—traditionally reserved for luxury and diplomatic objects—reinforces its status as a work of presentation quality.
Height: 3.75”
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL (1874–1965)
A SOLID GOLD MINIATURE BUST BY Oscar Nemon
FOR Asprey & Co., BOND STREET, LONDON, CIRCA 1960
A finely cast solid gold miniature bust of Winston Churchill, with bowed head and resolute expression, the reverse incised NEMON, mounted on a substantial banded malachite plinth. Stamped Asprey & Co.
PROVENANCE
Asprey & Co., Bond Street, London
NOTE
This highly rare example belongs to the most exclusive group of portrait busts produced by Nemon following his appointment as Churchill’s principal sculptor in 1951. Granted exceptional access to the sitter, Nemon achieved what is widely regarded as the most authoritative sculptural interpretation of Churchill’s later life.
Small-scale busts of this model were retailed by Asprey, predominantly in silver; however, examples executed in solid gold were produced only in very limited numbers, almost certainly as presentation pieces, and are exceptionally rare.
The present work captures Nemon’s mature treatment of the subject: the heavy-lidded gaze, deeply modeled brow, and compressed mouth conveying the psychological gravity of Churchill’s wartime leadership. The use of gold heightens the immediacy of the likeness, while the richly veined malachite plinth—traditionally reserved for luxury and diplomatic objects—reinforces its status as a work of presentation quality.
Height: 3.75”
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