Miniature plaque with the face of an Aboriginal child by William Ricketts

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Type: Sculptures
Date: 1935 - 1993
Place: Mount Dandenong, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Materials: Ceramic
Collection: William Ricketts Sculpture collection no. 1
Accession number: 2003.0016.0002

Description

An earthenware plaque with relief decoration of the head of a man with a long beard partly, glazed. There is a small hole in the top for hanging. Incised on reverse 'Wm Ricketts', with green felt attached to base.

Artist and potter Williams Ricketts (1898–1993) was inspired by the spirituality and dignity of Aboriginal people and wanted to draw attention to what he saw as their connection to the environment. The sculptures he produced at his Mt. Dandenong pottery feature Aboriginal and mythical figures, Australian birds, animals and hybrid creatures, some appearing to emerge from the organic forms of trees and rocks, with larger works designed to blend into the native garden settings where he displayed them.

About the collection

This collection consists of two William Ricketts reliefs of Aboriginal children. Lot 113 is a sculpture of an Aboriginal child looking to the left, signed on the reverse. Lot 115 is a terracotta relief of an Aboriginal child's face. They are in good condition. William Ricketts is an internationally renowned Australian sculpture whose concern for the environment and Aboriginal people was the major inspiration for his work. Rickett's sculptures of Aboriginal mythology allowed him to express his convictions and beliefs through this medium. The two reliefs of Aboriginal children are examples of the type of work produced by Ricketts during his lifetime, particularly during his time spent with the Pitjantjara and Arrente people of Central Australia.

Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 6:03:10 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2025-02-17. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.