Nelusko
Entry ID
-
31 (10/01/2022)
Formal title of the work
-
Nelusko
Description of the sculpture
-
A bronze and marble bust depicting the character Nelusko from the opera ‘L’Africaine’ by German composer, Giacomo Meyerbeer.
URLs where this is recorded/available
Type of object
-
Bust – Portrait
Base
-
Base present - appears to be the original base
Dimensions
-
Height: 97.8 cm
Materials
-
Bronze
-
Marble – white
Specific techniques used
-
Carving
-
Casting
-
Patination
Overall colour
-
Polychrome
Inscriptions
-
'NELUSKO' (on front of socle)
-
'Pagani Luigi / fece 1871 Milano' (indicating that it was carved by Luigi Pagani in Milan in 1871)
Does the Black person have a specific identity?
-
Identifiable: person from literature/ musicals/ opera
Identity of Black person (real or fictive)
Attributes
-
crown
-
feather headdress
Role within sculpture
-
Main protagonist
Gender
-
Male
Age
-
Adult
Status
-
Royal
Clothing
-
Wearing clothes – indigenous clothing
-
Wearing clothes – ‘exotic’ clothing
Evidence of enslavement
-
None
Evidence of 'exotic' status
-
Earrings (often a single pearl)
-
Feathers
-
‘Exotic’ costume/dress
Action or activity
-
Not relevant (head)
Emotional state
-
Noble/proud
-
Annoyed/displeased
Focus of gaze of Black person
-
Looking sideways
Sculptural context
-
No location included/implied
Sculptor
Place of production
Period of production
-
Nineteenth century (1800-1899)
Date of Production
-
1871
Date inferred from
-
Recorded in inscription
Price history
-
28 October 2003: $321,100 (Christie's, New York)
-
9 July 2015: £242,500 (Christie's, London)
Original purpose
-
Decorative
Original display setting
-
Unknown
Current / most recently known location
Provenance history
-
From 9 July 2015: current owner unknown
-
9 July 2015: Sold by Christie's, London, lot 115
-
28 October 2003 - 9 July 2015: Property of a private collector
-
28 October 2003: Sold by Christie's, New York, lot 170
-
Until 28 October 2003: Property of Peter Glenville and Hardy William Smith
Exhibition history
Exhibition ID number
-
London 1872; no. 1509
Notes
-
Displayed with its pair, Selika: London 1872; no, 1510.
Bibliography/References
Reference pages
-
Panzetta 1990; p. 177
-
Vicario 1990; pp. 474-475
Associated with
Related objects
Current rights holder
License terms for reuse
Linked resources
http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/50, . (no date) ‘Nelusko’, Black People in European Sculpture, accessed May 5, 2025, http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/301
