Italian Antique 19th Century Alabaster Female Sculpture of Hebe with Eagle

This compelling Italian 19th century white glazed porcelain sculpture depicts ‘The Rape of the Sabines’, after a monumental work by the Renaissance artist, Giambologna (1529-1608) th...

A lovely antique Italian Capodimonte white porcelain biscuit male and female figurines sculptured in the round depicting in a very romantic moment. This centrepiece group features tw...

This 19th century big scale Italian animalier sculpure features a lion striding forward on a root-wood base, snarling with open mouth and expressive eyes enlivening its rippling mane with an extremely realistic sense of motion. The wooden statue, wonderful as a table top, is entirely hand carved in the round in a single block of solid olive wood, sign of high quality and sculptural artisanal mastery. An original whimsical and impressive centerpiece clearly sculpted by a true artist who carved the block of wood creating this figure of the proudest feline boasting a detailed study of the lion's anatomy.The features on the face, mane, muscles, tail and the paws are still distinctive and full of character as well as the beautifully carved stand. This sculpture boasts smooth surface and a warm patina developed over centuries and exudes wonderful quality and timelessness of the ancient world. The rich original patina brings further intrigue to its intricately carved details. This hand carved wooden lion statue is a great looking antique centrepiece...

These unusual hand-sculpted polychrome wax figurines on giltwood base depicting two Arabs relaxing on a sofa perfectly captures late 19th century Europe's perspective and aesthetic f...

The category Antique Marble and Alabaster Sculptures, features a beautiful and refined Female Sculpture, depicting a Bust of a Woman, of a Girl with a headdress and gentle gaze. Th...

The category Antique Alabaster Sculptures, features a refined Female Sculpture, a Young Woman leaning against a classical column and peering expectantly, the work created is made of alabaster, a lustrous and elegant material used by the artists to sculpt their works of art. The age of the ancient sculpture is from the late 1800s, 19th century. The ancient female Statue in alabaster, bears a signature G. Gambogi, Italian sculptor. Giuseppe Gambogi (1862-1938), was born in Pisa but worked in Florence where he had his studio-atelier together with his children. He uses various materials in marble, alabaster and bronze for his works. Sculptor with Romantic and Orientalist taste. Many works created by the sculptor were made for the foreign market and some of them are preserved in the Dantesco Museum in Ravenna. The sculpture is in excellent condition although it has undergone minor restoration. Sculture...

A very fine Italian 19th century Carrara marble life-size marble sculpture of "Hebe and The Eagle"; depicting a young maiden seated on a rocky outcrop holding an urn over her shoulder and serving water from a bowl to a thirsty eagle, raised on a circular base by Aristide Fontana (Italian 19th Century - Active 1870-1890), Carrara, Inscribed to the reverse; "Aristide Fontana Sc./Carrara", circa 1870-1880. Hebe, the Greek goddess of youth, was the daughter of Zeus and Hera and was the hand-maiden and cup bearer of the gods and the symbol of youthful beauty and chastity. She is often depicted as a temptress tantalizing the eagle of Jupiter with a cup of ambrosia and her body. In her role as cup-bearer she offered nectar and ambrosia and here she holds the cup before the eagle, Zeus' messenger. This sculpture subject matter resembles Bertel Thorwaldsen's, marble sculpture of Ganymede and the Eagle, circa 1817 and currently at the Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA. The most notable difference between both sculptures is that, unlike in Thorwaldsen's work, this sculpture depicts a figure of a young semi-nude maiden bearing a pearl necklace centered with a charm engraved with the letter "S". This sculpture subject matter can also be attributed to Psyche, perched on a Stygian rock and threatened by dragons, is rescued from her task by Jupiter's eagle, who brings her a lekythos filled with the river's water. Although Apuleius' story of Cupid and Psyche had been a common theme in European art since the Renaissance, the particular incident of Psyche rescued by Jupiter's eagle was seldom illustrated. Comparable to themes in mythology, Old Testament figures and heroines in particular were popular subjects of artworks in the mid-19th century. Several scenes from the Biblical (Gen. 24) story of Rebecca's meeting with Eliezer, and subsequent marriage to Isaac, were depicted in the 19th century. The most frequent representation shows Rebecca at the well with a pitcher. Other examples of the subject include those by the Italians Cesare Lapini, Giovanni Battista Lombardi and Domenico Menconi and American sculptors Brown, Mozier, and Chauncey Bradley Ives...

19th century a pretty woman sat on the back of an eagle with a marble base, signed C. Buhot, Measures: 21.5 x 10 inches.