H69.145.1

Bust and column. Description: Alabaster column with white marble bust of classical female head. a. Marble bust of classical female head; left arm broken off. b. Small marble pedestal c. top of alabaster column d. mid section of column e. bottom of column History: from Victorian home on Eddy St, San Francisco. Damaged in earthquake, 10/17/89 Dimensions: a. 10 x 6 1/2 x 13 1/4' b. 6 x 6 x 4 1/8" c. 8 1/4 x 8 1/4 x 3 3/4" d. 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 x 3 1/4" e. 12 3/8 x 12 3/8 x 33 1/2" From the History Information Station: Object: Marble neo-classical bust of woman, on alabaster pedestal. Circa 1885. History: The new factory production techniques of the Industrial Revolution made even carved marble busts affordable for those other than the very rich. Well-to-do Victorians celebrated their newfound material wealth with neo- classical grandeur. In a fancy house this bust might have stood in a niche flanked by classical columns, surrounded by tasseled drapes. In a more modest house, like the one on Eddy Street in San Francisco where this bust was actually displayed, it probably graced the library or parlor, adding its stately air to the book-lined walls and plush carpeting. Abundance and Opulence Use your imagination to see what the things in this exhibit looked like in a true Victorian interior. Not only were houses filled with furniture, they were full of lush textiles, full of colors and patterns and fringe and doilies and tassels and draperies and photographs and knickknacks and potted plants. Imagine these pedestals standing on flowered carpets, in rooms with different patterned papers covering walls and ceilings, lit by windows hung with lace and velvet curtains. Imagine the chairs and tables draped with scarves, sitting next to valanced mantels covered with photographs and gilt vases and clocks. Victorian homes and furnishings celebrated luxury, artistry, acquisitiveness, worldliness and abundant pleasures of home.

Used: San Francisco