Alabaster sculpture, the work of the famous Italian sculptor Guglielmo Pugi (active between the late 19th and early 20th centuries) or his renowned workshop in Florence.
This piece of high artistic quality captures a moment of tender interaction: an elegantly dressed young woman/mother, leaning against a finely carved balustrade, supports a child wearing a hat or bonnet. The expression of the younger figure, with a finger raised to the lips in a gesture of stillness or concentration, adds considerable sweetness and emotional depth to the scene.
The balustrade, richly carved with an openwork floral rosette motif, contrasts beautifully with the fluidity and realism of the dress drapes, typical of Pugi's style.