19th Century Neoclassical Grand Tour Bronze Model of the Temple of Vesta, Rome

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19th Century Neoclassical Grand Tour Bronze Model of the Temple of Vesta, Rome

About the Item

A 19th century Grand Tour neoclassical bronze architectural model of the Temple of Vesta, Rome, circa 1875, on a square grey marble base. The primary value in going on the Grand Tour was the exposure it provided to the cultural legacy of classical antiquity and the Renaissance for, primarily, the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. Later in the 19th century, models like this one were created as souvenirs for travelers of many types seeking to remember their experience visiting the wonders of the Classical world. This model is well detailed and makes for great decoration. The top is also removable and reveals a compartment where a glass inkwell may have once been. History: Containing the sacred fire and the Palladium, an effigy of Athene (Minerva) believed to have been brought by Aeneas from Troy, this ancient temple was built in imitation of a primitive round hut, its hearth fire symbolizing the perpetuity of the Roman State. It was not a true temple in that its space was not inaugurated, nor did it contain an image of Vesta, the goddess of the household hearth. As the handmaidens of Vesta, the principal duty of the six Vestals was never to allow the flame to be extinguished, an arduous task in a building with a vent in the roof. There also was danger that the temple, itself, might catch fire, which it sometimes did. It was destroyed in the fire of Nero in AD 64, which reached this point of the Forum. The last time it burned, in AD 191, the temple was restored by Julia Domna, the wife of Severus. Once a year, on June 15, the ashes of the tended fire were ritually thrown into the Tiber. (Source: Penelope, University of Chicago). All temples to Vesta were round, and had entrances facing east to symbolize connection between Vesta’s fire and the sun as sources of life. The Temple of Vesta represents the site of ancient cult activity as far back as 7th century BCE. Numa Pompilius is believed to have built this temple along with the original Regia and House of the Vestal Virgins in its original form. Around the Temple stood The Sacred Grove, in which also there was a graveyard for the priests and virgins. The Temple of Vesta was destroyed and rebuilt many times. The broken column fragment in the model is a romantic version of the ruins.

Dimensions:
Height: 4.5 in (11.43 cm)Width: 4 in (10.16 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
Style:
Neoclassical (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Belgian Black Marble,Bronze,Cast
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1870-1879
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1875
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Age appropriate wear to marble base.
Seller Location:
Essex, MA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU837712523751