Pair of Black Marble Obelisks

circa 1900, each resting on brass balls over a stepped base, the sides of which are inlaid with onyx roundels.
20-1/4 in. high
From the Collection of the late Sterling Boyd, Raleigh, North Carolina
Sterling Boyd was a consummate collector and Southern gentleman. Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, he studied art history at Sewanee: The University of the South, Oberlin College, and received his doctorate from Princeton University. He shared his enthusiasm for the fine arts through positions at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond and the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. Boyd also taught and mentored future art historians at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and later headed the art department at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Following his academic and museum careers, Sterling Boyd channeled his talents for interior design and decoration. His Raleigh apartment was a cabinet of curiosities, each item carefully collected from his world travels and perfectly placed in his jewel box of a home.
Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.lelandlittle.com

Chips and loss to each base, some areas with repair; one obelisk with loss and hairline to lower corners.