Featured Austin Productions Sculpture

Good evening - hope all is well. I’ve come across what looks like a religious (Hindu?) sculpture. It’s heavy (about 6lbs) and 18” tall. I haven’t been able to find any info on it

I’ve attached a few pics. Any assistance is appreciated.

 

A molded plaster or some such thing, tourist item.......

 

These Austin Production items are most often made with a material more like plaster. There might be certain ones that were metal, but the bulk are made with a plaster-like material, often made to look like cast metal, and pretty sure this one is made of plaster. If any chips, you will see white.

The company was prolific! Right now on Ebay (just checked) there are 1,600 Austin Productions pieces for sale, and so many different versions. Most don't sell well, but a certain few bring in money, especially the modernist style, if you check Ebay sold.

I think they were based in New York city, maybe started in the 1950s, but produced for years and years. Some of them are actually kind of well done where I've taken a second look, but in the end when I see the "Austin Prod" mark I almost always take a pass for any kind of resale because they are brutally heavy and somewhat fragile.

 

Thanks @Lucille.b - I didn’t see any white under chips, but there are spots of what looks like green oxidation.

Thanks for your info.

 

There's a Facebook group. You'll want to visit because a thorough company history is available there.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/austinprod/

Yours is a mass produced decorative Buddha. There seems to be more supply than demand on eBay but MCM Buddha's seem to do well.

Debora

 

Losely based on a Chinese Guanyin statue.

 

Thank you to all!

 

I have a repro of Rodin's sculpture The Thinker made by Austin Productions. It has a few very small chips in the dark surface, and the chips do show white underneath. It's quite heavy... weighs about five pounds. It is nine inches tall. It is definitely some kind of plaster, although it does make a "ping" sound when I strike my fingernail against it. The sound is almost like metal would make, but not quite.