SECOND HALF OF THE 16th CENTURY POLYCHROME MAIOLICA PLATE

A charming pair of candelabra in finely carved wood and finished with silver leaf. These candelabra are distinguished by their elegantly carved shaft, enriched with delicate grooves,...

Elegant pair of shelves in solid walnut, carved and highlighted with pure gold leaf. The decoration presents a typically architectural style, with a frame adorned with floral buds an...

Beautiful Renaissance walnut chest of drawers with small dimensions, characterized by carvings and panel decorations both on the drawers and on the sides. This piece of furniture is ...

Splendid sculpture in white Carrara marble depicting a young Hercules holding the world. Originally, the work was conceived to be used as a caryatid at the beginning of a sumptuous m...

Superb Flemish Renaissance bronze pot from the 16th century. Superb patina and in very good condition.

Inkwell Calamelli workshop (attr.). Faenza, second half of the 16th century Height 4.33 in; length 8.07 in; depth 2.95 in (11 cm; 20.5 cm; 7.5 cm) Weight: 0.800 lb (363 g) State of conservation: some chipping to the top of the mask around the mouth. Handle glued, without any restorations; minor chips in some raised areas. This object has the shape of a foot wearing Greek-style footwear, as can be seen in some raised areas. The foot is anatomically modeled with bare toes, while the ankle is partially covered by the footwear. On the heel, there is a small circular handle to support the object. The mouth of the container is shaped like a mask. The interior, completely enameled, suggests that the piece was intended to be used as an inkwell or to contain some other liquid. The base, however, is not enamelled. The painted decoration, scant and brief, consists of rapid cobalt blue shading between the toes of the foot, with more precise emphasis on the nails. It is accompanied by yellow citrine accents to enhance the forms. The mask is painted with the tip of the brush, to accentuate the tense nature of the eyes and to accentuate their outline. Thin strokes of yellow-orange line the interior of the mouth. Since the Renaissance, this decoration has been referred to as "compendiaria" and it characterizes the period of production extending from the mid-16th century to approximately the middle of the following century. It significantly influenced tastes at the time. It evolved from the polychrome style "istoriato" and transformed into a new style that "summarized" (compendia), or condensed, the ornamentation of the works into a few colors, placing greater prominence on the shapes. It was often inspired by metal specimens. Since the Renaissance, this decoration has been referred to as "compendiaria" and it characterizes the period of production extending from the mid-16th century to approximately the middle of the following century. It significantly influenced tastes at the time. It evolved from the polychrome style "istoriato" and transformed into a new style that "summarized" (compendia), or condensed, the ornamentation of the works into a few colors, placing greater prominence on the shapes. It was often inspired by metal specimens. This artwork finds parallels in similar objects all characterized by this refined style and produced in the city of Faenza and other Italian centers starting from the mid-16th century. The closest comparable example in majolica is a foot acquired by the British Museum in 2011 (inv. 2011, 8008.1). This was previously published by Carmen Ravanelli Guidotti in 1996 and later by Dora Thornton in 2016 during the conference on Renaissance ceramics...

Brazier. Copper. Possibly Castile, 16th century. Brazier made of copper with a circular foot decorated with vertical bands, a low tubular shaft enhanced with a fine roped molding and a semicircular body, with a wide mouth that flares outwards, and two halfrectangle-shaped metal handles with a torso part on the sides. Of the piece. These types of pieces were used both in civil and ecclesiastical interiors with the aim of heating the occupants of the room as much as possible, and their conservation is rare because they are utilitarian elements that were discarded over time or due to be damaged They used to be objects destined for the upper class, and followed the same typologies whether they were destined for a sacristy or a private residence. This case, possibly intended for use in the sacristy, shows a typical typology in the Spanish school of the time. Compare, for example, with the brazier present in The Birth of the Virgin Mary of the Altarpiece assembled around 1520 by Pedro de Guadalupe from Valladolid and found in the church of San Esteban...

The monk is depicted with an oval face, marked with high and strong cheekbones, sunken cheeks, strong jawbones and a cleft chin. His almond shaped eyes are opened under very strong a...