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ANTIQUE ITALIAN PORPHYRY MORTAR

Rome, 16th/17th Century

Typical of 18th Century Rome, this fascinating pink marble urn with lid is a wonderful example of Italian decorative arts. Embellished with bronze moun...

BRECCIA FRAGMENT PLINTH Italy, 18th Century Breccia medicea 55 x d 25 cm 21 3/4 x d 9 3/4 in

Unusual 14th Century Italian marble mortar with animals depicted on the sides

LARGE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE MARBLE CAPITAL Florence, 15th/16th Century marble 38 x 47 x 47 cm 15 x 18 1/2 x 18 1/2 in

This French marble mortar is an impressive piece that blends historical craftsmanship with natural beauty. Its massive, solid form is enhanced by a rare and striking color palette, f...

Beautifully Veined Red Marble Mortar Vessel. France, circa 1900.

An early 19th century Swedish or Russian Porphyry campana urn vase carved in a Classic shape, likely carved by the Alvdalen factory in Sweden, the vase presently mounted on a faux gr...

A magnificent and monumentally scaled Italian early 19th century solid Porphyry and ormolu urn, circa 1810. The most impressive urn is raised by a circular base with a fine stepped and mottled border. At the center is an impressive and most decorative reeded design below the smooth elegantly curved body with richly sculpted scrolled handles at each side. Above the curved neck is the removable lid also decorated with a beautiful reeded design, mottled band, and centered by a striking ormolu acorn finial. All original gilt. Porphyry was Imperial Rome’s most prestigious stone for columns, vases, and other objects. The word “porphyry” comes from the Latin word for purple, which was the color of nobility to the Romans. Porphyry is considered the Imperial Stone of the Roman Empire. In the year 18 AD, the Roman Legionnaire Caius Cominius discovered a beautiful purple stone in the eastern desert of Egypt. It was a deep purple color with flecks of larger white crystals and was perfect for carving. This porphyry quickly became the most prestigious stone for the elite of Rome and Byzantium. For centuries the Romans quarried this treasured stone...