Duke of Wellington, a triumphal profile bust

The right facing bust of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington measures approximately 4¼ x 3 ins and is in a plain Victorian wooden frame, 7 ins in diameter and with convex glazing. We have not taken it out of the frame to examine the construction but suspect it is made by some form of compressed paper, pressed into a mould a manner similar to papier maché. The background to the bust is dark blue. The profile itself bears considerable likeness to the Nollekens bust and is treated in Roman fashion with a wreath of laurel symbolic of military victory.    aug18/3