Large French camel sculpture, terracotta or painted plaster, by Raffl et Cie,c.1900

H: 29.5", W: 27", D: 12".--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Maison Raffl, also known as La Statue Religieuse, was a trading company in religious statues and church furniture with a shop at 64, rue Bonaparte in Paris. Raffl is the name of the first owner, but there were many more during his period of activity, between 1857 and the 1920s.History:Ignaz Raffl, or Josef-Ignaz Raffl (1828-1895), woodcarver of Italian origin, moved to Paris in 1857. In 1871 he created the Crowned Virgin installed on the esplanade of the sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Supported by the Sanctuary of Lourdes, this model has been extremely successful and has given rise to many variations2.The Raffl house, which gradually took over the main manufacturers of religious statues, produced works of all sizes and in many different materials, from plaster to bronze, including compressed cardboard and cast iron. Most of the art foundries were approached by Raffl and worked for the company, with no easy identification of subcontracting links.This activity is particularly favored in the second half of the 19th century, driven by the "sacral recharge" with the fashion of the Sulpician style, the construction of numerous religious buildings of eclectic style and their equipment in statues of saints, and the renewed popular devotion, for example, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus or to the Virgin of recent apparitions (Rue du Bac in Paris, La Salette, Pontmain, Lourdes ...). Mass production by the molding process, in particular in plaster, allows cost prices much lower than those of traditional statuary in stone or wood.

Probable restoration to several parts of camel. Some minor chips. Good condition otherwise.