Pair of Bronze Egyptian Style Cats, Late 20th Century

20th Century Viennese bronze cat pincushion Pincushion showing a cat with bristly hair Viennese bronze with red velvet, figure of the Ea...

This is a historically interesting bronze sculpture of a pair of lions after the original Medici Lions placed at the Villa Medici, Rome. This pair dating from the second half of the 20th Century. The lions are sitting on their haunches with one front paw on a sphere, and they are facing right and left with their tails on opposite sides. They feature beautifully toned muscles and sleek detailed manes, which signifies their masculinity and reflects their health. This high-quality hot cast solid bronze pair was produced using the traditional "lost wax" process, otherwise known as the "cire perdue" method. It is a majestic pair which will look lovely equally at home indoors or outdoors. Condition: In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 96 x Width 43 x Depth 95 Dimensions in inches: Height 3 foot, 2 inches x Width 1 foot, 5 inches x Depth 3 feet, 1 inch Lost Wax Method sometimes called by the French name of cire perdue or the Latin, cera perduta is the process by which a bronze or brass is cast from an artists sculpture. In industrial uses, the modern process is called investment casting. An ancient practice, the process today varies from foundry to foundry, but the steps which are usually used in casting small bronze sculptures in a modern bronze foundry are generally quite standardised. The Medici lions are a pair of marble sculptures of lions, one of which is Roman, dating to the 2nd century AD, and the other a 16th-century pendant; both were by 1598 placed at the Villa Medici, Rome. Since 1789 they have been displayed at the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. The sculptures depict standing male lions with a sphere or ball under one paw, looking to the side. Copies of the Medici lions have been copied and publicly installed in over 30 other locations, and smaller versions made in a variety of media; Medici lion has become the term for the type. The Albani lion, a similar ancient sculpture, now at the Louvre A similar Roman lion...