African Court Jester
by MOCHI, Orazio, Bronze, golden patina under a reddish-brown lacquer, height 18 cm
This statuette is wonderful for the expressiveness of the modeling and the figure’s powerful physique, so clearly influenced by Michelangelo’s monumental marbles, the Slaves. Mochi has created an astonishingly empathetic representation of a powerfully-built black African male who serves as a court entertainer (identified by his hooded tunic and fringed over-garment), perhaps as a boxer or wrestler. His hand to the head and anguished facial expression may well be intended to convey his struggles with his fate.