An Italian Grand Tour Rosso Antico Marble Tazza Attributed Benedetto Boschetti

Impressive Pair of Huge Italian Portasanta and Rosso Antico Marble Obelisks Italy circa 1910. Of choice cuts of Portasanta marble, visually supported on spheres carved of Rosso A...

A Fine Pair of Early 19th Century French Grand Tour Bronze and Siena Marble Tazzas of Interesting Design French Circa 1830 These beautiful tazzas stand on round bronze bases, cast...

A Fine and Decorative Pair of French Grand Tour Bronze and Siena Marble Tazzas of Large Scale French circa 1820 These fine tazzas retain an impressive patination and are of a well ...

An extremely large mid 19th Century grand tour specimen marble top with rare and fine marble and hardstone examples. Italy Rome Circa 1840- 1860 Inlaid with concentric rings o...

A Pair of Early 19th Century French Bronze and Marble Tazzas of Particularly High Quality and Large Size French Circa 1820 These tazzas are incredibly finely detailed and of the fi...

Extremely fine marble group of Bacchus and Ariadne after the antique attributed to Carlo Albacini (1734 – 1813) Italy Rome circa 1800 Provenance A French Private Collection Carved in the round of white marble, the young couple shown walking and apparently exchanging words, his left arm gently wrapped around her shoulder, upholding part of her drapery, a wreath of fruit-bearing vines placed on his head, while hers shows no berries, from her right shoulder suspended a suggestive skin of a goat. In excellent condition having a restoration on Ariadne's left index finger. This finely carved sculptural group is one of a number of known examples of this subject, all inspired by a Greco-Roman classical original 1st and 2nd centuries A.D which is now in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (inv.68.770). Demonstrating the beginning of Bacchus' courtship of Ariadne and illustrates the “Return to Antiquity” which was expressed in numerous archaeological works in Rome at the end of the 18th Century. The subject matter made it perfect for a wide variety of settings and fine copies of the subject which survive in such collections as the Rothschilds at Waddesdon Manor, the Pitti Palace in Florence, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes, the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique and the National Trust property Erddig in Wales. This marble is exemplary of neoclassical aesthetics, by its ancient origin and by the creativity of the sculptor who perfectly links these two figures in the manner of Antonio Canova's standing groups (see Daedalus and Icarus or Venus and Adonis). This marble represents a moment of tender complicity illustrating the ability of neoclassical sculptors to detach themselves from ancient rigour in order to introduce an ideal of softness into their works. These two figures are not simply next to each other, but marry through the fusion of their drapes, through the play of glances and through the embracing gesture of Bacchus. Of the surviving 18th and early 19th century examples of this group, the finest are signed by or attributed to the Italian master Carlo Albacini (1734-1813). Albacini was a restorer of ancient marbles who worked extensively on such aristocratic assemblages as the Charles Townley collection, later to form the basis of the fine sculpture collections at the British Museum, whilst also creating copies of these antique pieces for his elite clientele. Aside from Townley, one of the most interesting and important English collectors of this period was the Earl of Bristol who had a fine house in Naples, a London townhouse and his Suffolk family seat Ickworth which he intended to fill with exceptional examples of art of all kinds. Bristol was a great patron of Italian artists and a chimneypiece from his collection that was supplied for his Italian home and later fitted at Ickworth was sold at Sotheby's on the 26th of November 2003 lot 87. This exceptionally carved chimneypiece...

With lobbed reeded body on waisted socle and stepped plinth base

Grand Tour bronze jardiniere with three lioness head form handles mounted upon a wrought iron stand with scrolling foliate design. Overall: 45" H x 14" diameter. Dealer: S138XX

This is a beautiful large antique French Grand Tour dark patinated bronze and ormolu jardiniere, Circa 1830 in date. This stunning bronze is superbly cast and has an elegant brown...

Salvaged from the garden of an Italian villa, this marble basin was hand-carved in the early 1900’s and most recently used as a planter. The ovate shaped bowl has an exterior width of 31 inches and has a small drainage hole in the bottom. A square, rough-cut block that extends from the backside would be used to affix the basin to a wall. The gray marble is naturally weathered, giving the stone a matte finish with a nice speckled black patina. Not only would this piece be a unique garden planter, the antique basin...

Salvaged from the garden of an Italian villa, this marble basin was hand-carved in the early 1900’s and most recently used as a planter. The ovate shaped bowl has an exterior width o...

This marble pedestal constructed from three separate types of stone is a form seen through the 17th to the 19th centuries, circa 1880. Of white marble, the inset formal front panel i...