South German sculptor (active at the end of the 17th/beginning of the 18th century, probably in Augsburg) Statuette of a gentleman or saint Metal, finely chiselled and gilded; on the chest a mounted heart of light ruby-red glass in a wreath of flames; in the hands a martyr's palm (probably added later) and mace of dark brown patinated bronze. Fully sculpted statuette of a gentleman in distinguished Renaissance or Baroque costume standing on an ebonised wooden plinth in a contrapposto, with a laurel wreath and a ring-shaped nimbus (probably added later) on his head. The curved, angular, moulded base decorated on the front with open-worked acanthus tendrils and a metal (brass?) coat of arms. Total height 58 cm. Provenance: Sotheby's auction, Amsterdam, 28 Sept. 2006, lot 875 (with illus.); from the Michahelles collection, Hamburg, which has grown over generations. South German sculptor active late 17th/early 18th C. probably in Augsburg. Gilt and finely chiseled metal figure of a gentleman with glass gemstone heart on ebonised wooden base with metal (brass?) ornaments and coat of arms, now holding a dark brown patinated bronze martyr's palm and a mace.