18th Century and Earlier Decorative Objects

Neolithic hand carved stone disc with a hole in the center mounted on a modern steel base. This evocative ancient piece has a real presence that belies it's size. Wonderful color wit...

Egyptian New Kingdom Relief Fragment Carved limestone New Kingdom, circa 1550-1069 BC 12 x 16.5 cm This beautiful fragment preserves three columns of neat hieroglyphs deeply carved ...

I would like to introduce an attractive pot that gives you a sense of wabi-sabi. It is "Shigaraki ware". Shigaraki is a historical kiln located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It is sa...

Very old and beautiful hand forged iron candleholder. France, circa 1650-1750. Weathered.

This elegant pair of Dutch Delft vases is from the late 18th century, circa 1780. They are beautifully hand-painted and feature cobalt blue decoration in the mid-18th-century "Thousa...

A fabulous investment quality antique George III Flame mahogany & gilt bronze eight day movement tall case grandfather clock, by Robert & Peter Higgs & David Evans, made for the Span...

A Very Fine & Rare Example of an Eighteenth-Century Chinese Porcelain Export Circular Lidded twin handle blue and white Deep Dish Tureen or Centerpiece Bowl of generous proportions and of the period Chien Lung 1736-1795. Exquisitely hand decorated depicting typical Chinese scenes of garden landscapes within trellis border on an off-white ground. The octagonal edge dome shaped cover with similar decoration and an attractive central finial. *This is one of a pair currently listed Condition: This piece is offered in exceptional condition for such an early piece, no losses or hairlines anywhere, and no restoration, possibly never used, no staining inside the bowl. This piece is typically unmarked. Width: (including handles) 10.75” (27.5cm). Diameter: (top cover rim) 10” (25.5cm). Height: 7.75” (19.75m). Location: Dublin City, Ireland. Affordable fixed price Worldwide Store to door shipping offered by Seller. Please take time to scroll down below and click "View All From Seller" or favorite our Shop PATRICK HOWARD...

Upper Cretaceous, about 70-65 million years ago (Maastrichtian) Morocco The skull is reconstructed in good proportions with fossil pieces found in a phosphate mine in Morocco. I att...

This elegant 18th-century Swedish trumeau captures the refined elegance spirit of the Gustavian period, with its light-colored frame and gilded accents. The upper panel features deli...

Very charming Travel Inkwell in leather with a Count`s Crown, probably early 18th Century. Nice patina with some wear. See pictures. Wear consistent with age and use.

George III Period, sterling silver (unmarked, but tested)-mounted ram's horn snuff mull, Scotland, Ca. 1790-1810. There is a sterling silver disc on the top of the hinged lid that is...

Chinese Export Porcelain Maiden Lotus Candlesticks, A Pair, Circa 1765 The pair of Chinese maiden candlesticks are each in the form of a Chinese m...

Unique Baroque giltwood candleholders for in total 6 candles, Italy, circa 1750-1780. Weathered, repairs and losses. More pictures available on request. Measurement individual.

FOSSILISED TYRANNOSAURUS REX TOOTH Circa 67 million years ago H. 12.5 cm x W. 4.2 cm PROVENANCE Found in Butte County, South Dakota, USA, Summ...

This exceptional pair of antique black basalt vases was made by Wedgwood & Bentley in the late 18th century, circa 1775. The vases are sculpted in deep solid relief with bacchanalia...

A magnificent meteorite sphere, cut from the famous Aletai meteorite and polished to reveal the shimmering iron-nickel matrix and the beautiful crystalline Widmanstätten pattern — a ...

An 18th century mortar made from hand-carved beautifully veined Carrara marble. Fashioned in the traditional style, with four shaped corners and a deep bowl, this would once have bee...

A complete cross section of one of the most beautiful meteorites known, displaying shimmering, translucent olivine and peridot gems, embedded in an iron-nickel metallic matrix. The ...

Wonderful and unique small hand carved oak lion fragment. Beautiful weathered. France circa 1650-1750 Weathered. measurements include the wooden pedestal. H:11cm W:6cm D:5,5cm

Beautiful weathered marble baroque angel. Italy 17/18th century. Weathered, losses and old repairs. More pictures are available on request.

Jacques Bergé "King David" - Terracotta or Fired Clay with Polychrome Remnants Dated 1736 14.5" h x 5.5" w x 4.5" d A rare and exceptionally refined terracotta sculpture of *King ...

This fully rooted Triceratops tooth offers an exceptional glimpse into the life of one of the most iconic herbivores of the Cretaceous. This remarkably preserved specimen from the Up...

This is an exquisite pair of antique English George III Old Sheffield Plate, silver on copper, candlesticks, Circa 1790 in date. Raised on oval bases on a tapered stem they both fea...

This exquisite blue and white Delft five-piece garniture from mid-18th century Holland, circa 1760, is a masterpiece. The hand-painted panels on the front and back of each jar are de...

This is a finely hand painted Chinese porcelain bowl from the 18th century, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, 1736-1795. The bowl is beautifully decorated with two panels of figure sce...

Just discovered and coming from a Shinto Shrine deaccession Call or message us for details or to reserve. Japan an early and superb pair (2) of mythical Shi Shi Temple Foo Dogs als...

Set of three carved wood hand painted donation / offering ALM Boxes, Spain, 18th century. Polychromed wooden Church Collection offering donation money boxes as wall decorations. Beautiful wall decoration comprised of three wall hanging collection / doation money boxes. Originally used to collect donations at Christian churches/chapels. Each one has a different design. All three create a colorful set displayed together. Rare find. Provenance: Private collection. On sale as a set. Measures: Religious woman: 45 cm H x 26 cm W x 21 cm D Saints Box: 33 cm H x 37 cm W x 14 cm D Blue Box:46 cm H x 31,5 cm W x 14 cm D Poor box...

A substantial and architecturally evocative Roman mosaic pavement fragment, dating to the 4th - 5th century CE (or AD) possibly as early as the 2nd century CE, likely originating fro...

This large fossil plate is incredibly unique, featuring a long Diplomystus dentatus along with two Cockerellites (Priscacara) liops, fossilized in its natural matrix. The entire piec...

Late 18th Century Delft Tabac Jar. As expected signs of age, minor restoration on rim. Circa 1780.

Large Mexican Green Onyx Tower Obelisk Specimen Weighing 20 lbs. Offered for sale is a very large specimen Green Onyx Tower Obelisk. It is a variation of the renowned Onyx stone, di...

A Memento Mori in wood with Chrismon, monogram of Christ. Valuable sculpture in fruit wood in almost true-to-life measurements, sculpted with art and finished with a wealth of detail...

A pair of late 19th-century egg Chinese art pottery pots featuring an Asian dragon along the front. These Pots are over 120 years old and were used to store black "Century eggs" and ...

This seemingly striking sculpture, composed of thick swirls and folds, is in fact an entirely natural formation. Formed some 30 million years ago in the Oligocene sand dunes of Fonta...

Pair of cast paktong circular base candlesticks with a removable gadroon edge bobesh. The tall, slender shaft is capped with vasiform candle cup on a waisted pedestal with a flaring,...

18th century Italian gilded and hand-carved tabernacle adorned with an 18th century Italian gilt chalice and Sabina Faye Braxton gaufrage fabric. This tabernacle once belonged in a h...

This is a very good early, First period (Dr. Wall), Worcester porcelain leaf shaped Pickle Dish in a deep cobalt blue floral pattern with a Crescent mark to the base. dating to 1770 ...

Add a dramatic piece of natural history to your collection with this beautifully preserved Crotalocephalina gibba trilobite from the Lower Devonian period, approximately 400 million ...

Spectacular and very decorative piece. Large carved wooden reliquary bust of a Madonna. Beautiful traces of color. Small losses and without the relics. Silver/silvered central piece ...

Magnificent Pair of Gilt Bronze Candlesticks in French Rococo (Louis XV), c. 1760–70 An exceptional pair of antique gilt bronze candlesticks, crafted in France during the second hal...

18th century reliquary from northern Italy. Giltwood, polychromed and looks to be hand carved from one piece of wood. Mortised thru the base. A reliquary was used to house a religio...

Stony-iron, pallasite - PMG Circa 4.5 Billion y/o Weight: 34.68 kg Height (including base): 53 cm Width: 29 cm A magnificent and extremely sculptural specimen of the Seymchan meteor...

Madigascar Jurassic - Cretaceous Period, 200 - 145 million years old Dimensions: 6.5 x.5.25 × 1.25 in./ 16.5 × 13.5 × 3 cm Weight: 1 lb 9 oz/ 710 gms A richly colored example wit...

This antique wooden Buddhist figure was crafted in the Edo Period (1603–1868). Although the specific identity of the deity it represents is unknown, the figure has a gentle presence...

A Pre-Columbian pottery vessel. There are hand-sculpted vestiges of a face reminiscent of early figurative efforts. Patina includes traces of red cinnabar and mineral deposits, attes...

Magnificent Amethyst geode, a captivating treasure with a heart of intense purple and a unique large calcite, cradled in a custom rotating stand for a 360-degree view of its splendou...

This museum-quality Amethyst “harp” from Artigas, Uruguay, is a natural sculpture of exceptional beauty and rarity. The piece features a harmonious arrangement of high-quality Amethy...

Eleanora & M. Magdalena Dei Medici Wax Portraits on Slate Measures: 4.5" DA 18th Century or Earlier Wax Portraits of Eleonora de' Medici and Maria Magdalena de' Medici in Ormolu F...

A rare and very fine bronze corpus of Christ after a model by Michelangelo, cast ca. 1597-1600 by Juan Bautista Franconio and painted in 1600 by Francisco Pacheco in Seville, Spain. The present corpus reproduces a model attributed to Michelangelo. The best known example, lesser in quality, is one on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET). The association of this corpus with Michelangelo was first brought to light by Manuel Gomez-Moreno (1930-33) who studied the wider circulated casts identified throughout Spain. The attribution to Michelangelo was subsequently followed by John Goldsmith-Phillips (1937) of the MET and again by Michelangelo expert, Charles de Tolnay (1960). While Michelangelo is best known for his monumental works, there are four documented crucifixes he made. The best known example is the large-scale wooden crucifix for the Church of Santa Maria del Santo Spirito in Florence, made in 1492 as a gift for the Prior, Giovanni di Lap Bicchiellini, for allowing him to study the anatomy of corpses at the hospital there. In 1562, Michelangelo wrote two letters to his nephew, Lionardo, indicating his intention to carve a wooden crucifix for him. In 1563 a letter between Lionardo and the Italian sculptor Tiberio Calcagni, mentions this same crucifix (a sketch of a corpus on the verso of a sheet depicting Michelangelo’s designs for St. Peter’s Basillica [Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille] may reproduce this). That Michelangelo was working on small corpora in the last years of his life is further evidenced by the small (26.5 cm) unfinished wooden crucifix located at the Casa Buonarroti, considered his last known sculptural undertaking. Michelangelo’s contemporary biographer, Giorgio Vasari additionally cites that Michelangelo, in his later years, made a small crucifix for his friend, Menighella, as a gift. Surviving sketches also indicate Michelangelo’s study of this subject throughout his career, most notably during the end of his life but also during the 1530s-40s as he deepened his spiritual roots. The occasional cameo of crucified Christ’s throughout his sketched oeuvre have made it challenging for scholars to link such sketches to any documented commissions of importance. All the while, in consideration that such objects were made as gifts, it is unlikely they should be linked with commissions. Nonetheless, a number of theories concerning Michelangelo’s sketches of Christ crucified have been proposed and some may regard the origin of the present sculpture. It has been suggested that the corpus could have its impetus with Michelangelo’s work on the Medici Chapel, whose exclusive design was given to the master. It is sensible smaller details, like an altar cross, could have fallen under his responsibility (see for example British Museum, Inv. 1859,0625.552). Others have noted the possibility of an unrealized large marble Crucifixion group which never came to fruition but whose marble blocks had been measured according to a sheet at the Casa Buonarroti. A unique suggestion is that Michelangelo could have made the crucifix for Vittoria Colonna, of whom he was exceedingly fond and with whom he exchanged gifts along with mutual spiritual proclivities. In particular, Vittoria had an interest in the life of St. Bridget, whose vision of Christ closely resembles our sculpture, most notably with Christ’s proper-left leg and foot crossed over his right, an iconography that is incredibly scarce for crucifixes. The suggestion could add sense to Benedetto Varchi’s comment that Michelangelo made a sculpted “nude Christ…he gave to the most divine Marchesa of Pescara (Vittoria Colonna).” Of that same period, two sketches can be visually linked to our sculpture. Tolnay relates it to a sketch of a Crucified Christ at the Teylers Museum (Inv. A034) of which Paul Joannides comments on its quality as suggestive of preparations for a sculptural work. Joannides also calls attention to a related drawing attributed to Raffaello da Montelupo copying what is believed to be a lost sketch by Michelangelo. Its relationship with our sculpture is apparent. Montelupo, a pupil of Michelangelo’s, returned to Rome to serve him in 1541, assisting with the continued work on the tomb of Pope Julius II, suggesting again an origin for the corpus ca. 1540. The earliest firm date that can be given to the present corpus is 1574 where it appears as a rather crudely conceived Crucifixion panel, flanked by two mourners in low-relief and integrally cast for use as the bronze tabernacle door to a ciborium now located at the Church of San Lorenzo in Padula. Etched in wax residue on the back of the door is the date, 27 January 1574, indicating the corpus would have at least been available as a model by late 1573. The Padula tabernacle was completed by Michelangelo’s assistant, Jacopo del Duca and likely has its origins with Michelangelo’s uncompleted tabernacle for the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Rome. The impetus for the Padula tabernacle’s Crucifixion panel begins with a series of late Crucifixion sketches by Michelangelo, depicting a scene of Christ crucified and flanked by two mourners (see British Museum Inv. 1895.0915.510; Ashmolean Museum Inv. 1846.89, KP II 343 recto; Windsor Castle RCIN 912761 recto; and Louvre Inv. 700). A faintly traced block possibly intended for sculpting the sketch of the crucified Christ on its recto was discovered by Tolnay on a version of the composition at Windsor Castle. The Windsor sketch and those related to it appear to have served as preparatory designs for what was probably intended to become the Basilica of St. Mary’s tabernacle door. Vasari documents that the project was to be designed by Michelangelo and cast by his assistant, Jacopo del Duca. Michelangelo died before the commission was complete, though on 15 March 1565, Jacopo writes to Michelangelo’s nephew stating, “I have started making the bronze tabernacle, depending on the model of his that was in Rome, already almost half complete.” Various circumstances interrupted the completion of the tabernacle, though its concept is later revitalized by Jacopo during preparations to sell a tabernacle, after Michelangelo’s designs, to Spain for Madrid’s El Escorial almost a decade later. The El Escorial tabernacle likewise encountered problems and was aborted but Jacopo successfully sold it shortly thereafter to the Carthusians of Padula. An etched date, 30 May 1572, along the base of the Padula tabernacle indicates its framework was already cast by then. A 1573 summary of the tabernacle also describes the original format for the door and relief panels, intended to be square in dimension. However, a last minute decision to heighten them was abruptly made during Jacopo’s negotiations to sell the tabernacle to King Phillip II of Spain. Shortly thereafter the commission was aborted. Philippe Malgouyres notes that the Padula tabernacle’s final state is a mixed product of the original design intended for Spain’s El Escorial, recycling various parts that had already been cast and adding new quickly finished elements for its sale to Padula, explaining its unusually discordant quality, particularly as concerns the crudeness of the door and relief panels which were clearly made later (by January 1574). Apart from his own admission in letters to Spain, it is apparent, however, that Jacopo relied upon his deceased master’s designs while hastily realizing the Padula panels. If Michelangelo had already earlier conceived a crucifix model, and Jacopo had access to that model, its logical he could have hastily employed it for incorporation on the door panel to the tabernacle. It is worth noting some modifications he made to the model, extending Christ’s arms further up in order to fit them into the scale of the panel and further lowering his chin to his chest in order to instill physiognomic congruence. A crude panel of the Deposition also follows after Michelangelo’s late sketches and is likewise known by examples thought to be modifications by Jacopo based upon Michelangelo’s initial sculptural conception (see Malgouyres: La Deposition du Christ de Jacopo del Duca, chef-d’oeuvre posthume de Michel-Ange). Jacopo’s appropriation of an original model by Michelangelo for more than one relief on the Padula tabernacle adds further indication that the crucifix was not an object unique to Jacopo’s hand, as few scholars have posited, but rather belongs to Michelangelo’s original...

This antique Buddhist shrine box was crafted in the Edo Period (1603-1868). Known in Japan as a “Zushi,” it served as a small sanctuary to enshrine Buddhist figures, scriptures, or ...

A pair sophisticated carrara marble and gilt bronze Candlesticks. Made in France during the 1780s. Louis XVI. Beautiful contrast between the white Carrara marble and the gilded de...

Madagascar Jurassic - Cretaceous Period, 200 - 145 million years old 8.75 x 7 x 2 in. / 22 x 18 x 5 cm Weight: 4 lbs 14 oz/ 2.065 kg Ammonites were cephalopods that resembled a s...

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...

This Bizen ware jar was fired in the Bizen region of Okayama Prefecture. Bizen ware is one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns and is known as one of the oldest pottery styles in Japan. Its...

A large early 18th C. black terracotta vessel from the Trás-os-Montes region of north east Portugal. Originally used for the storage of oil/wine. Heavily patinated with ripply text...

A good quality Georgian 18th century mahogany rectangular tea caddy having replacement brass axe drop handle to hinged lid enclosing cavity with attractive inlaid decoration throughout. Tea was of course a very precious commodity throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and the purpose of a tea caddy was not just to preserve the and extend the life of the precious tea leaves...

Given its breath-taking stature, one can see that this amethyst cluster was freed from an especially large geode and with amethyst of exceptional quality within. The color and size...

Lovely collection of 3 wooden candleholders with traces of their original silver and color. Very nice type candleholder and rare to find in a group. Italy, circa 1780-1800. Weathere...

This exceptional 15th-century Venetian painted casket is a rare example of early decorative art from the late Medieval to early Renaissance period in the Republic of Venice, Italy. H...

It is "Echizen ware". Echizen is a historic kiln located in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is said to have originated around the 9th century. There are 6 kilns with a long history in...