Pair of 19th Century Directoire Garden Sphinxes

19th century pair of bronze Egyptian Revival sphinx figures in reclining poses seated on solid wooden rectangular plinth bases. A well-detailed...

Pair of exceptional, hand-cast, French, parcel-gilt bronze sphinxes on newer, beveled marble bases.

An impressive pair of Italian 19th century Neo-Classical st. white Carrara marble statues of Egyptian Sphinxes. Each Sphinx is sculpted out of one solid piece of marble and is raised...

Pair of 19th-Century Grand Tour Hand-Carved Marble Sphinx Sculptures on Plinth Bases Description: A finely carved and substantial pair of Grand Tour-era marble sphinx sculptures, ea...

An antique pair of Italian 19th-century sphinx statuettes handcrafted in terracotta, in good condition. The detailed Tuscan garden statues are laying on a volute base, and the wooden...

These late 19th or early 20th-century Dutch garden clogs, with their leather uppers and wooden soles, evoke a bygone era of simple, rustic craftsmanship. Each clog is thoughtfully de...

Made in France circa 1840s this finely cast pair of sphinxes are represented in the recumbent position most associated with the form. Showing on both figures are two hieroglyphic car...

A pair of small 19th century Italian cast iron garden statues, or figurines representing the seasons of Autumn and Spring. Beautiful weathered blue gray patina with heavy rusting. Ci...

This is a wonderful example of a late 19th century English lead putti. These English lead figures were traditionally garden elements; but this example is in...

From the 1700s through the early 1800s, European aristocrats developed a fascination with ancient Egyptian culture and design that culminated in a full Egyptian Revival. Prominent figures such as Marie Antoinette and Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned rooms decorated with Egyptian motifs. This cultural moment reflects a fascination with a sophisticated civilization of great artists and pharaohs. The Regency era possessed very little knowledge of the Great Pyramids or hieroglyphics, a quality that lent Egyptian art interpretation a compelling air of mystique. This English Regency period gilt carving depicts a popular figure of borrowed Egyptian motif: the Sphinx. Recognized among educated circles as a symbol of brilliance in the ancient past, the Sphinx was well-known as a mythological creature who destroys those who failed to answer her riddle. Such a piece as this, excellent in detail and craftsmanship, may have once graced the mantle of a gentleman’s study or been exchanged as a gift between British scholars. The beautiful gold surface has been achieved by an artful combination of gilt and gesso; the art enthusiast will appreciate the intricate texture realized in the carving’s hair and tail as well as the delicate detailing of the saddle. Borrowing from the Egyptians, the Greeks had their own interpretation of the Sphinx. Greek mythology chronicled the Sphinx as being the daughter of Orthous and Chimera or Laius and attributed the riddles, which she proposed, as having been taught to her by the Muses. Crowned with a Grecian diadem and having a refined expression, she evokes an ancient yet reserved intellect. For the modern-day enthusiast of classical Greek art...