16th Century Decorative Objects

Rare 16th century Nuremberg box In iron, measurements: 13 x 18 x 12 cm Good condition.

16th Century French oil jug found in a dive port in Nice with prolonged sea water exposure.

Exceptional polychrome wood low-relief depicting a werewolf and saint george after a woodcut by lucas cranach (“DER WERWOLF” 1512) Provenance : collection Brimo de Laroussihle c...

Possibly Saint Hubertus or Saint Eustace. Carved, polychrome and gilded wood. Spanish school, 16th century. Carving in polychrome and gilded wood, sim...

Cercle of Romano Alberti, dit Il Nero da Sansepolcro ( San Sepolcro, 1521-1568 ) Page Mixed media : wood core, papier mâché, stucco, polychrome and gilded Italy, around 1530-154...

A pair of Chinese Ming Dynasty glazed earthenware figure of Attendant The condition of these 5 century old glazed pottery tomb figures is outstand...

A striking pair of large Chinese glazed and painted pottery figures, Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644), circa 16th century, China. The impressive and realistically modeled figures each portrayed standing upright upon a sancai (three color) glazed pedestal of kang table form. The man is dressed in a short black surcoat over a long robe and pants, a smart cap upon his head. His face is warm and welcoming, with wide eyes and a slight smile on his lips. He holds his hands out in front of him, palms up, almost as if shrugging, though presumably originally holding an object or offering, now lost. The woman of slightly smaller stature, and dressed in a longer surcoat over a long robe and skirt. She wears a fitted cap upon her head. Her hands also held out in front, grasping long lost objects. Her face is slightly more severe, with a somewhat pinched look, and slight frown upon her lips. The size of these figures is remarkable, as is the realism and attention to detail, almost as if they were modeled after real people, as opposed to the more common and generic Ming Dynasty pottery...

A petite Chinese Ming dynasty green glazed terracotta court official figurine from the 15th or 16th century, with original polychromy. Attracting our eye with its nice polychromy, th...

This rare Venetian frame entirely carved in high-relief shows a rich decor of scrolls, garlands, daisy flowers and thistles. At the four corners of the frame are depicted large acant...

Pair of 16th Century Italian carved polychromed angelic sculptures.

16th century Italian carved and polychromed figure of a male saint or prophet with a wonderful presence. Shown holding an open book in his right hand with flames at his feet, mid-16t...

Acetre. Bronze. Century XVI. Bronze piece that has a circular foot, and a circular body, with an outwardly hollowed mouth at the top, and a decoration in relief in this last area o...

Christ crucified in silver 16th Century Italian school Measure: height: 40cm. very good condition.

A small Thai cast seated bronze figure of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, Northern Thailand, Ayutthaya period, 16th century. This sculpture captures the m...

Angel. Carved and polychrome wood. Century XVI. Polychrome wood carving showing an angel, with the face facing the viewer and the body in pr...

Saint Sebastian Feast Day: January 20th.l St. Sebastian (????, Narbonne, Gaul/France - c. 288, Rome, Italy) was an early Christian saint popul...

16th Century Spanish gold gilded and polychromed Carved-wood sculpture of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. She depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary in her...

A small Korean ceramic shallow bowl on ringed foot in the classic Buncheong (or Punch'ong) style from Joseon Dynasty circa 15-16th century. Originally intended for wine-drinking like...

A fine fragmentary gilt bronze head of the Buddha, Lan Na Kingdom, Chiang Saen style, 15th-16th century, Northern Thailand. The small head with well ca...

Important Renaissance Medical Box. Spanish Or Italian Workshop, Around 1550 Renaissance Medical Casket with stepped lid and vaulted flanked dome. Polychro...

A pair of 16th Century Italian wood carved figures of Saint Ambrose Archbishop of Milan and Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo, two of the four original Doc...

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...

400-500 old Burmese sandstone "Holy Cow" sculpture with beautifully detailed carvings. Very decorative with natural patina. Mounted on a base of light sandst...

Early 16th Century Spanish gold gilded and polychromed carved wood sculpture of John The Baptist.

This rare example of a Renaissance bronze mortar is decorated with starbursts all along the everted rim and features 4 large starbursts on the sides between the ribbed handles. The c...

Set of four cast and turned brass ottoman candlesticks Turkish, 16th century Measures: Largest: Height 41.5cm, diameter 24cm Smallest: Height 28...

A Chinese Fahua glazed pottery figure of Songzi Guanyin with child. A rare yellow, turquoise and green glazed statue of Guanyin with downward gaze h...

Provenance : Jean Gismondi collection, before 1973. This important walnut jewelry chest is outlined with a gilt motif and presents a decor imitating basketry. The lid is topped by...

The carvings of this marble stemma cartouche dates to the 1500’s. Hand-carved in Tuscany, Italy, the marble was mounted onto a geometrically shaped iron stand within the last century...

Easily recognizable with his gesture of showing pest effect on his thigh this pilgrim saint is accompanied by an angel curing him. The quality of the wood is noteworthy. Bibliography Louis Réau, Iconographie de l’Art Chrétien...

Early 16th Century Spanish carved-wood and polychromed panel of The Betrothal and Love of Joseph and Mary mounted on a Lucite panel and framed with a walnut wood hand-finished frame.

A pair of 16th Century Spanish altar panels of Cherubs Representing the Omnipresence of God mounted on a Lucite panel with a double frame of hand-carved ...

In Medieval Europe and even more during the early 16th century fantastic beasts could be found in Bestiaries, a literary genre close to poetry. A bestiary used the characteristics of...

Beautiful and very rare set of six engravings extracted from the work entitled “speculun romanae superbeiae” produced between 1554 and 1573 by An...

Late 16th century Italian school oil on a wood panel painting of The Madonna with Christ Child and the infant St. John the Baptist. Mount Vesuvius is erupting in the background. This painting was part of the collection of Fred B...

A Buncheong (also spelled as Punch'ong) stoneware tea bowl from Korea Joseon Dynasty circa 15-16th century. The conical shape bowl in the classical styl...

This carved oak woodwork was probably placed on the facade of the house, close to the roofing framework of a Norman house. The sculptor had depicted the salamender frontview in a sty...

Sea monster Carrara marble mouth fountain Italy, late 16th century It measures 13.8 x 31.5 x 18.9 in (35 x 80 x 48 cm) State of conservation: some small evident gaps and widespread signs of wear due to outdoor exposure. The gray marks crossing it do not come from restoration, but are rather the natural veins of the marble. This work has some morphological characteristics typically associated with the iconography of the sea monster: an elongated muzzle, sharp teeth, protruding eyes, elongated ears, and a coiled serpent's tail. An in-depth series of studies on artistic depictions of the sea monster attempted to verify how this symbol evolved in antiquity in the European and Mediterranean contexts and how it gradually changed its image and function over time. The iconography itself is mutable and imaginative and its history is rich with cultural and artistic exchange, as well as the overlapping of ideas. This occurred so much that it is difficult to accurately pinpoint the "types" that satisfactorily represent its various developments. However, we can try to summarize the main figures, starting from the biblical Leviathan and the marine creature that swallowed Jonah (in the Christian version, this figure was to become a whale or a "big fish", the “ketos mega”, translation of the Hebrew “dag gadol”). Other specimens ranged from the dragons mentioned in the Iliad (which were winged and had legs) to "ketos” (also from Greek mythology), the terrifying being from whose Latinized name (“cetus”) derives the word "cetacean". See J. Boardman, “Very Like a Whale” - Classical Sea Monsters, in Monsters and Demons in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds, in Papers presented in Honor of Edith Porada, Mainz am Rhein 1987, pp. 73-84). In Italy the monster underwent yet further variations: it can be found in Etruscan art on the front of some sarcophagi representing the companion of souls, while among the Romans we find the “Pistrice” (cited by Plinio in Naturalis Historia PLIN., Nat., II 9, 8 and by Virgilio in Eneide: VERG., Aen., III, 427), which appeared in the shape of a stylized hippocampus or a very large monstrous cetacean and evolved into a hideous being with a dragon's head and long webbed fins. During the Middle Ages, the sea monster was the object of new transformations: at this time, it is often winged, the head is stretched like a crocodile, the front legs are often very sharp fins - sometimes real paws - until the image merges with dragons, the typical figures of medieval visionary spirituality widely found throughout Europe (on this topic and much more, see: Baltrušaitis, J., Il Medioevo fantastico. Antichità ed esotismi nell’arte gotica, Gli Adelphi 1997). In Italy during the 15th and 16th centuries, the revival of classicism - representative of the humanistic and Renaissance periods - led to a different reading of these "creatures". Indeed, the sea monster was also to find widespread use as an isolated decorative motif, especially in numerous fountains and sculptures where dolphins or sea monsters were used as a characterizing element linked to water (on this theme see: Chet Van Duzer, Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps, London, The British library, 2013). From the morphological point of view, the "sea monsters" of this period are mostly depicted as hybrid figures, in which the body of a mythological or real being (a hippocampus, a sea snake, a dolphin), is joined to a head with a rather indistinct appearance. It was usually characterized by large upright ears, an elongated snout, sharp teeth and globular, protruding eyes; a complex and indefinite figure, both from the symbolic point of view and from that of its genesis. The work we are examining is placed as a cross between the medieval sea serpent and the Renaissance dolphin, with stylistic features which recall the snake as often used in heraldry (such as the "snake" depicted in the coat of arms of the Visconti - the lords and then dukes of Milan between 1277 and 1447 - and which, for some, may be derived from the representations of the “Pistrice” that swallowed Jonah). In the search for sources, Renaissance cartography and in particular woodcuts should not be neglected. See for example the monsters of Olaus Magnus, from the editions of the “Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus” (“History of the peoples of the north”) and the natural histories of Conrad Gesner, Ulisse...

Very elegant sculpture reprenting a Putti (angel) from the German renaissance period -16 century Rare sculpture in walnut of great quality with a very beau...

A large Japanese Namban lacquer arqueta coffer for the Portuguese market Kyoto, Momoyama-period, late 16th century In Hinoki cypress lacquered in ...

A very rare antique French, Bernard Palissy or School of Bernard Palissy attributed majolica figural plaque with classical figures moulded in relief. The lightly potted earthenware p...

Small box with opening top, slightly convex urn front with shaped shelf support, decorated on the front with carved tablet, while the rest of the object is simply painted. The front started with four pilasters that create three reserves, the two lateral pilasters have two twisted columns on a blue background, the central pilasters are instead painted with gold candelabra...

An outstanding French mid-16th century Body of Christ. Expertly carved from natural fruitwood. Stunning patina. The corpus has been attached to a base i...

Pair of polychrome wood sculptures. "San Juan and San Pablo". Castilian school, 16th century. Both male figures have been represented standing, with their main iconographic attrib...

Asian Chinese (Ming Dynasty-Circa 1500) blue & green porcelain Shou Lau seated figure with oversize head (symbolism of longevity & luck) on a base suppo...

A wonderful Gothic period hand carved stone statue of Saint Nicholas from the Avignon area of France. The now headless Saint Nicholas holds his staff an...

French Victorian bronze figure of a 16th century man holding a quill and book with a guitar on base (signed).      

A fine and large Chinese brown ochre glazed stoneware storage jar, commonly known as a Martaban or Martavan jar, Ming dynasty, 15th-16th century. The elegant ovoid jar with a slen...

This is an exceptional and historic pair of Damascus enameled metalwork vessels or urns. These art objects show signs of rough use and handling through the centuries. Although it is ...

A lovely northern Thai cast bronze seated meditating Buddha statue with shell inlaid eyes, style of Wat Chedi Luang, Lan Na Kingdom, region of Chiang Mai, 15th-16th century.  The statue of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is portrayed in dhyanasana, seated upon a double lotus pedestal atop a raised platform. His legs in virasana, the half lotus position, hands in dhyana mudra, the gesture of meditation. The Buddha's face is youthful and pleasant, reminiscent of faces of contemporaneous Sukhothai Buddha...

A Chinese Ming Dynasty period stucco head of a court lady from the 15th or 16th century, mounted on a wooden stand. Crafted in China during the Ming Dynasty, this stucco head is moun...

A striking Japanese late Muromachi Period (1333-1573) lacquered and giltwood figure of Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha, seated upon an elaborate car...

A very striking 16th century statue - head of a nobleman - crafted from Roman concrete - opus caementicium. Roman concrete is durable due to its incorporation of volcanic ash, which...

16th C. hand carved Capital stone base architectural element sculpture pedestal. Very rare 16th century Renaissance corner Capital. Hand carved limestone Chapiteau Capital from a Cloister in France. From an ornamental point of view, it is the coronation, the upper part of a post or a column or pilaster pillar. A beautiful Architectural element garden ornament. It can used as a Base for a coffee glass table or as a side table for drinks or to mount books. A stunning Fragments to be used as stand for a sculpture. Use it as a pedestal or as a mounted decorative object. In an entryway a bathroom a living room, in an office, it will create an incredible focal point. It can make a beautiful base for a floor lamp by a leather reading chair...

Very good pair of 16th century Italian bronze candlesticks of unusually bold design, turned balustrade form and good scale. One pricket lacking.      

The Amitabha (Amida in Japanese) Buddha is shown standing with his hands forming the Amida raigo-in mudra. The face has a serene expression, with closed eyes under delicately arched brows and a severe face. The hair is arranged in rows of coils that also cover the "ushnisha", the protuberance on the head. The drapery is folded in elegant pleats falling from the shoulders to the feet. The antique sculpture is placed on a lotus flower which is located on a richly decorated base. Faith in Amida Buddha remained largely confined to a small segment of the Japanese population until the Kamakura Era (1185-1333) when it was popularized by new Pure Land sects committed to bringing Buddhism to the illiterate commoner. These sects expressed concern for the salvation of the ordinary person and stressed pure and simple faith over complicated rites and doctrines. Amida Nyorai...

A wonderful early 16th century hand carved stoned fragment of an angel. Beautifully crafted from Tuffeau stone from the Chambord area of France - now on its iron stand. A wonderful a...

1600-1700th century sculpture of female head carved in sandstone. Mounted on a base of light sandstone. From pagoda / temple in Burma. Charming expression with good patina. M...