Impressive 19th Century Grand Tour Alabaster Model of Rome's Arch of Constantine

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Impressive 19th Century Grand Tour Alabaster Model of Rome's Arch of Constantine

About the Item

An impressive, 19th century, Grand Tour carved Alabaster architectural model of Rome’s Arch of Constantine Interestingly, compared with other 19th century architectural souvenir models from the Eternal City, its famous arches are relatively unusual subjects. While there are a very few, one-off, 18th century examples, made for royalty and Church higher-ups, the first multiply-made models of the Arch of Constantine were cast in bronze, circa 1820 by émigré Prussians Wilhelm Hopfgarten and Ludwig Jollage. Until, circa 1870, while marble models of Rome’s Columns, Obelisks, temple ruins, etc, proliferated, we’ve not seen similar replicas of any of the city’s landmark triumphal arches. Perhaps they were subjects too challenging to easily realize. This, circa 1870, 7-1/8” high, in veined yellow alabaster on a gray – called bardiglio – alabaster base (both stones were quarried in Volterra), is carefully-detailed, a catalogue of this Arch’s architectural detail. Scratched into the front of the base is Arco di Constantino (on both facades); while above are lines of Latin text. Italian souvenir architectural models, across the 19th century, may be very approximately dated according to their materials. Rosso antico (red) marble replicas appeared from the 1810’s – 1840’s; giallo antico (yellow) marble mementos are most plentiful from the 1850s, circa 1870; nero antico (black) marble pieces seem to occupy the 1860s – 1880; colored Italian, (generally from Volterra), alabaster models date to, circa 1870 while white Italian alabaster architectural miniatures predominate in the period from 1870s – 1910. Again, these are rules of thumb, the rules rather than their numerous, varied exceptions. For example, as early as the 1860s there was a substantial trade in Volterran alabaster (both polychromatic and white) souvenirs. “a large quantity (of Volterran alabaster) is worked up into reduced models of the more famous statues and architectural monuments, the whole of which are exported to foreign countries, “ reads the Official Description Catalogue of the Kingdom of Italy (1862). Of course, the reasons for changes in stones, from which architectural souvenirs were carved, have to do with scarcity and price. We’ve mentioned scarpellini, the Roman stonecutters responsible for the great majority of souvenir architectural models in the 19th century. This trade originated at the outset of the 17th century, relying for its materials on the abundance of colorful, rare, antique, imported marbles with which the ground of post-sack Rome was reportedly covered. Two hundred years later this abundance was much reduced, thus successive turns first to red, then yellow, then black marbles, until these too were exhausted; and finally to Italian alabasters. Today, in Rome, miniatures of the Colosseum are made of colored resin.

Dimensions:
Height: 7.125 in (18.1 cm)Width: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)Depth: 3.25 in (8.26 cm)
Style:
Grand Tour (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Alabaster,Carved
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1860-1869
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1870
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor chipped corners and old repairs.
Seller Location:
Lafayette, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU114324714853