English Regency Decorative Painted and Gilt Post Cap

English Regency rosewood end table with 4 black lacquer and gilt trimmed lion legs and octagonal inlaid marble top with stretcher.

English Regency mahogany and gilt trimmed dining table with a painted foliate banded top on a turned column pedestal base with 4 reeded legs & brass castors (6 leaves)

English Regency (circa 1810) ormolu mounted, parcel gilt, thuya & mahogany tilt octagonal top center table with calamander cross banded top & winged lions paw feet.

PAIR of Italian (early 19th Century) painted and parcel gilt carved standing figures of a young man and lady dressed in traditional cloths (PRICED AS PAIR)

This Vintage Regency Gilt Greyhound exudes luxury and elegance, featuring a sleek greyhound figure finished in a rich, gilded tone. The exquisite detailing and regal posture capture ...

Mid-20th century Modern gilt brass decorative pineapple sculpture/newel post, Italy By: unknown Material: metal, copper, zinc Technique: cast, molded, polished, gilt, metalwork Dime...

English Regency framed, fine gilt, repousse, copper figure of an exotic actor. Circa 1820. In the manner of a carriage decoration. Finely chiseled repo...

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...