Adoration of the Magi, Flanders, 17th Century

Cerberus Black painted stone Italy, 17th century Measures: 80 x 69 x 36cm (one head missing) Cerberus, cruel monster, fierce and strange, Through his wide threefold throat barks as a dog Over the multitude immers'd beneath. His eyes glare crimson, black his unctuous beard, His belly large, and claw'd the hands, with which He tears the spirits, flays them, and their limbs Piecemeal disparts (Dante, Inferno, Canto VI). Cerberus figure seated, in his role of ferocious guardian of the underworld; he shows a nervous musculature, an adherent skin which reveals the ribs, long and robust limbs; his heads are broad and the eyes set well apart. Painted in black to amplify his menacing look, the infernal guardian is depicted with his famous attributes, writhing his heads, growling and barking furiously. Cerberus, in Greek mythology, was the monstrous watchdog of the underworld – also known as the “hound of Hades” – preventing the dead from leaving, and making sure that those who entered never left. A child of Typhon and Echidna, he was part of a monstrous family, which included Orthus, the Lernaean Hydra, and the Chimaera as well. Only on three occasions Cerberus was tricked by visitors of Hades: Heracles did it with his strength, Orpheus with his music. In "The Inferno", Dante places Cerberus as the guardian of the third circle of Hell. With his three mouths, Dante saw Cerberus as a beast that was synonymous with the sin of Gluttony. Virgil gets past the monster by throwing mud in his three mouths, temporarily choking him. Very rare are the representations of Cerberus in ancient statuary...

Rare Bronzes Depicting two Figures in Turkish Attire Possibly Suleiman the Magnificent at two different ages bronzes, alabaster bases Venice, early 17th century 19,5 x 6 x 5 cm These two rare bronze statuettes represent two figures dressed in elaborate "Turkish" attire. They are mounted on alabaster bases with bronze reliefs—one featuring the winged lion of Venice, and the other possibly symbolizing Turkey with a wolf depiction. One figure wears a grand külah, a spherical turban with a cone top, signifying royal authority, while the other has a wrapped turban, denoting rank and religious identity. Their garments are richly detailed with intricate engravings, suggesting luxurious fabrics of the Ottoman court. The statuettes may represent Suleiman the Magnificent at two different stages of life, as both young and old. The sultan depicted alongside the winged lion corresponds to a description from a Venetian delegate in 1534, when Suleiman was 43. At that time, he had conquered Iraq from the Safavids and achieved a decisive victory over the Papal fleet at the Battle of Preveza. He was described as having large eyes, an aquiline nose, and long red mustaches—traits visible in Cristofano dell'Altissimo’s portrait of Suleiman in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Unlike Mehmed II, who commissioned portraits by European artists for diplomatic purposes, Suleiman did not directly order such representations. Instead, his likeness spread through works by artists like Albrecht Dürer, based on sketches made by diplomats. Following his capture of Belgrade in 1521, his victory over Hungary in 1526, and his siege of Vienna...