French Orientalist Bust In Polychrome Régule Circa 1900 - 8¾"

This petite Orientalist bust of a woman, cast in polychrome-painted régule (a zinc-based alloy), dates to the late 19th to early 20th century. The head tilts gently with a composed expression, framed by a draped turban in rose and terracotta tones and finished with large hoop earrings. The truncation-cut shoulders are set on a turned and gilded socle above a square plinth. The palette reads as "peau de bronze", with warm coppery-brown flesh tones and gilt accents. The piece is unmarked. The bust retains a richly timeworn patina, with soft rubbing to the high points and scattered paint losses that reveal the terracotta beneath, enhancing the depth and authenticity of its polychrome surfaces.

This type of domestic sculpture reflects the Belle Époque fascination with Orientalism, a style that drew on North African and Near Eastern motifs celebrated at the Expositions Universelles and in salon art. Régule allowed ateliers to produce finely modeled figures at accessible prices, often finished to imitate bronze with cold-painted polychromy that animated skin, textiles, and jewelry. The classical base and square plinth reflect historicist taste, while the turban and hoop earrings evoke the exoticized portraiture popular in interiors from the 1880s through the 1910s.

Modest in scale, the bust sits well on a mantel, library shelf, or writing desk, where its warm patina softens the tones of wood and leather. It pairs gracefully with Art Nouveau faïence, marbled books, or framed photographs to form a layered vignette. Placed on a console beneath a mirror, it introduces color and texture without overwhelming, its quiet presence lending refinement and character to an entry, dressing room, or living space.