Get ready to do the Jailhouse Rock all the way to Las Vegas with this retro Elvis Presley

These busts were produced c 1970s in Mexico and were commonly painted and turned into lamps. A remarkably attractive and pensive-looking Elvis. Chalkware items are made in a 2-part mold, which leaves a seam. People painting chalk ware will file smooth such seams and other irregularities, before painting the object. Because chalkware is easy to chip and disintegrates if exposed to water, the condition of this piece is remarkable given its age. There are some minor chips and some scuff marks. The piece is hollow, as can be seen in the one of the photos. This is a collectable item for any dedicated Elvis fan and is a lovely testament to The King! 

Hand-painted

Weight: 17 lbs 3.5 oz 

Height: 19½

Width: (at widest point): 17" 

Depth: 10"  

Chalkware is an American term for popular figurines either made of moulded plaster of Paris (usually) or sculpted gypsum, and painted, typically with oils or watercolors. They were primarily created during one of three periods: from the late 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century, during the Great Depression, and during the 'mid-century modern' era as decorative lamps, figurines and wall decor from the 1940s-1960s. Those created during the earlier period were intended as a more serious decorative art, often imitating the more expensive imported English Staffordshire potteries figurines such as Staffordshire dog figurines; those during the second period, by contrast, were more typically somewhat jocular. Early chalkware was often hollow and is difficult to find unblemished.

Heavy, and easy to break or chip, chalkware eventually lost favor to ceramic and plastic alternatives in the 1970s. Remaining pieces of MCM (and earlier) chalkware can be easily found today with more exotic or rare examples fetching hundreds or thousands of dollars by collectors on auction sites and other dealers.

Mid-century modern (MCM) era

Chalkware flourished during the mid-century modern era (1945-1965) as an inexpensive and expressive medium for the home, serving many types of taste and types of decorative need with table lamps, figurines, wall decor and tourist memorabilia. Attracting fine, mundane and comic artists, chalkware reached a broad audience during the MCM era providing everything from representations of European sculpture, to kitsch images of exotic travel, cartoonish characters and potty humor.