Thanks, guys. Happily, I *did* get one of the items I've been after. Should arrive in a few days, and I'll definitely share that piece here.
In the meantime, I've dug back into my collection "archives" as it were and photographed this interesting piece I picked up on ebay about a year and a half ago.
It's a well-done (alas, unmarked and unsigned) white porcelain bust of the controversial yet popular Pope Pius XII, who, as you probably know, presided over the Vatican during WWII. I haven't been able to find another one like it so I can't say for sure how old it is, but the quality suggests to me that it is not a new piece.
Any thoughts on origin or age are most welcome!
T.
