THE IVORY CARRIER BY ARSÈNE MATTON

Description :  The Ivory Carrier (Le Porteur d’Ivoire) is a sculpture chryséléphantine in bronze and ivory representing a Congolese African carrying ivory. Although this model has been seen in several smaller sizes we can say that this model is unique.

The Belgian sculptor Arsène Matton (1873 Belgium – 1953 Brussels)

Arsène Matton was born in Harelbeke, Belgium in 1873. After studying at several Academies (Courtrai, Gand, Malines & Bruxelles) he started to exhibit in the greatest Salons, after which he was commissioned by the state to create several sculptures for important monuments. From 1911 until 1937 he was a professor at the « Académie des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles » (The Belgium Academy of Fine Arts) and became the first national colonial artist commissioned by the Colonial Office and the King Leopold II to study the ethnic characteristics of the different tribes in Congo. Today, several sculptures by the artist are on display in some of the most important museums in Belgium.

Foundry : Arsène Matton used his own foundry to make this bronze sculpture. There are, as far as we know, never foundry marks on Matton’s sculptures.

Height : 100 cm.

Width: 26,5 cm.

Depth: 69 cm.