Sculpture and objects
Sculpture can be unique or cast in an edition, monumental or small enough for a shelf. Material, edition and the foundry are the first things to establish.
Sculpture covers three-dimensional works in every material: carved stone and wood, cast bronze, welded steel, modelled ceramics, resin and plastic. Some are unique; many are produced in editions from a single model – a bronze, for example, can be cast several times from the same mould.
For value, it matters whether a cast was made during the artist's lifetime and within the authorised edition. Posthumous casts, unauthorised casts and decorative copies are common, especially for well-known names.
What kinds of sculpture are there?
Bronze casts
Cast from a model in a foundry, often in numbered editions; the foundry mark and number are important.
Carved stone and wood
Marble, alabaster, limestone or wood – usually unique works carved by hand.
Welded and cut metal
Steel, aluminium and iron – from flat, painted cut-outs to large welded structures.
Ceramics
Modelled and fired clay, from vases and plates to sculptural pieces – often made with a ceramic workshop.
Resin, plastic and mixed materials
Polyester, resin, glass, mosaic and light – common in postwar and contemporary sculpture.
Multiples and small editions
Smaller objects produced in larger editions – the entry point to an artist's sculpture.
What drives the value
- Unique or edition: Unique works are worth more than casts; within an edition, lower numbers have no automatic premium.
- Lifetime cast: Casts made during the artist's lifetime and under their control are worth more than posthumous ones.
- Size and material: Larger works and noble materials generally fetch more – but the artist's market sets the frame.
- Surface and condition: Original patina, paint and surface matter; cleaning or repainting can destroy value.
How to check what you have
- Marks: Look for signature, edition number and foundry stamp – usually on the base or underside.
- Quality of casting: Soft details, porous surfaces and blurred edges can point to an aftercast.
- Weight and material: Bronze is heavy; painted plaster, resin or spelter imitating bronze is lighter.
- Documentation: Certificates, foundry records and catalogue entries are especially important for sculpture.
Sculpture by the artists in our guides
How this type of work looks in the market of individual artists – with links to their full profiles, auction records and authenticity checks.
Keith Haring
Sculpture: Flat, cut-out figures in painted steel or aluminium that turn his drawings into three dimensions.
Joan Miró
Ceramics: Plates, vases and murals created with Josep Llorens Artigas.
Sculpture: Bronzes, some painted, from the 1960s onwards – often playful assemblages of found objects.
Jaume Plensa
Stainless-steel letter sculptures: Seated or crouching figures built from welded letters of many alphabets.
Alabaster and marble heads: Elongated faces with closed eyes, carved in translucent stone.
Bronze and cast iron: Heads and figures, from intimate to monumental scale.
Light and resin: Illuminated figures and heads in polyester resin or glass.
Niki de Saint Phalle
Nanas in polyester: Painted polyester figures, unique or in small editions.
Mosaic sculpture: Mirrors, glass and ceramic on large figures – as in the Tarot Garden.
Multiples and small sculptures: Smaller Nanas, vases and objects in editions.
André Saraiva
Objects and sculpture: Mr. A figures and collectible objects, often in editions.
Questions
What does a foundry mark mean?
It names the foundry that cast the bronze and helps date and authenticate a cast. Its absence is not proof of a fake, but it requires more checking.
Is a posthumous cast genuine?
It can be authorised – by the estate, within a known edition – but it usually sells for less than a lifetime cast.
How do I photograph a sculpture for an estimate?
Photograph it from several sides, the base and underside, and all marks and numbers close up, ideally with a ruler for scale.
Do you own a sculpture?
Photograph the front, the back and any marks, signatures or seals, and get a free estimate. For insurance, a sale or an estate, order an appraisal with a notarized signature.
This guide explains general market rules. It is not an appraisal; the value of a specific work depends on its artist, condition and provenance.