Group of Cherub Musicians

Artisan: Victoria Heredia Guerbós
Date: 2022
Dimensions: 30 x 40 x 28 mm; 1 ¼ x 1⅝ x 1 ¼ in. (height x width x depth)
Intended Room: Music Room
Inventory number: 2022.168
Category: Figurines

Provenance: Purchased directly from the artist at Kensington Dolls House Festival, May 2022.

I’ve seen several cherub sculptures by Victoria Heredia Guerbós during my internet miniature-hunting, but although I admired them I never quite felt that the more colourful examples fitted with what I wanted for Quartermaine Hall. Imagine my delight when, on Victoria’s stall at the May 2022 Kensington Dolls House Festival, I discovered that she also makes her sculptures in plain white, highlighted with touches of gold. Poring over the examples, I was eventually captivated by this group of four musician cherubs, which will be perfect for our Italianate Music Room.

Victoria makes all her sculptures by hand from polymer clay without the use of moulds, and so each one is unique. The detail is unbelievable. Luckily, just before I started photographing this piece, I rediscovered my macro lens, which has helped to capture the extraordinary finesse of the craftsmanship, from the curls on the cherubs’ heads to the mass of flowers beneath their feet. Victoria was keen to show me that each cherub even has five distinct fingers on their tiny, chubby little hands. This is such a special piece, and I’m already wondering whether I shouldn’t get a pair of single cherub sculptures to sit, one on each side of the group, and create a ‘garniture’ of putti.