Isabella d'Este and Francesco II Gonzaga Majolica Busts by Angelo

Presenting a regal yet approachable portrait of France’s Louis XV, this terracotta bust is modeled after Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne’s sculpture of the king executed in 1757, which now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This version is executed in meticulous detail, with the king donning his cuirass decorated with the cross of the Holy Ghost and a draper tied under his tie. His head is turned slightly, giving the portrait a more casual, realistic feel, yet there is no mistaking his position of power in this confident portrayal. Louis XV, also called “Louis the Beloved,” ruled as King of France from September 1, 1715 until his death in 1774, succeeding his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until the young Louis...

These Napoleon III French urns exemplify the elaborate revival styles that dominated the Second Empire. The baluster-form fluorspar vases are adorned b...

The exquisite art of pietre dure is at its absolute finest in this spectacular pair of Russian ormolu and malachite plinths. True works of art of the Restauration period, these plinths each feature a matching pietre dure mosaic crafted of the finest stones, all chosen to create a sense of depth and dimensionality in the final work. Depicting an onyx vase with tulips, roses, daffodils, magnolia and other flowers, these pietre dure panels are among the finest examples of this ancient art we have seen. The pietre dure is complemented by malachite panels of the highest quality, exhibiting exceptional depth through its extraordinary cellular structure. Malachite is one of Russia’s most precious stones, and its presence in these plinths indicates commission and ownership by an individual of considerable status. Mounted in an excellent stepped ormolu base, these plinths originally served as bases for vases or candelabra. The overall execution and appearance of these plinths is very characteristic of the taste associated with the immensely wealthy collector Nicolas Demidoff. As early as 1806, Demidoff had commissioned the Parisian goldsmith Henri August to supply a guéridon; in 1819, he ordered famed French bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire to supply mounts for a massive malachite vase (now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), as well as a console table with legs in the form of Nike. Other commissions included a table given as a gift to Grand Duke Leopoldo II of Florence, now in the Pitti Palace. Demidoff eventually settled in Florence in 1822 and became Russian minister to the Tuscan Court. Elevated to the rank of Count of San Donato by the Grand Duke, he built a magnificent villa at San Donato on the site of lands formerly owned by the Medici. The villa was later inherited by Anatole, his son, Prince of San Donato, and there are records which confirm transactions he had with the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. The 19th century proved to be the golden age of Russian malachite. The stone became a sign of prestige and a token of wealth, so much so that Russian papers of the time wrote: "To afford having a big piece wrought in malachite is synonymous to owning diamonds." Year after year the Russian (Romanov) treasury paid increasingly unreasonable prices to hoard the best malachite, much of which went into Romanov palaces and extravagant objets d'art. The Hermitage Museum possesses a collection of over two hundred examples of this “palatial” malachite...

An exceptional and monumental Venetian wood sculpture surmounted by two putti holding a footed tray. The base is decorated with a bas-relief of the view ...

Pair of Italian majolica busts, circa 1870.

19th C. Pair Faience of Rouen Summer & Winter Garniture Bust Sculpture Statue LA ,The two sculptures were commissioned in the mid to late 19th century, Nicely proportioned and vibran...

Pair of French (19th Cent) white painted monumental figures of a Duke & Duchess on square bases. (att. to be patron saints of a provincial French town & used in an annual parade)

Two life-size, expressive busts of white marble as allegories of winter as an old man with coat and tongs - and - of spring as a youth with cap, on conical stelae with leaf ornaments...