In the 18th and 19th century it was very fashionable to dress your mantlepiece or desk with busts of classical figures. Depending on your pocket, these would be made from plaster, pottery or marble.
 
This bust of beethoven is made from reconstituted marble, a procces where the small pieces of marble would be ground into a fine dust then put into a mould, this would still give the effect of marble but would be a much cheaper procces.
 
There is a very small chip to the back of the bust.
 
Dimensions: 19cm high x 9cm