Angel Kneeling

This statuette of a kneeling child is called a “chalkware figurine,” although it is actually made of gypsum plaster (aka plaster of Paris). Such small plaster sculptures were less expensive alternatives to imported European majolica, Asian and Meissen porcelain, and Staffordshire figurines, making them popular decorations for middle-class homes.

Although immigrant German craftsmen are credited with introducing chalkware to the United States, craftsmen of Italian descent dominated the trade by the mid-1800s. As the figures were lightweight and could be made quickly with relatively little equipment, these craftsmen were often itinerants, offering their wares from town to town.