Gothic Mortar Bronze, Europe, Possibly Spain, 15th Century

Mortar with hand. Bronze. XVII century. Mortar with a circular base, cylindrical body and slightly outwardly flared mouth, decorated with a series of smooth horizontal moldings arranged both in the lower and upper areas and with simple vertical elements (which still maintain slight balustraded shapes) derived from of the ribs that these specimens used to have in the medieval Spanish...

Mary Magdalene on her way to Marseille. oil on board. Castilian school, towards the last third of the century XV. Oil on panel showing a landscape in the background with a walled city, some mountains and the shore of a watercourse (from the theme it is seen that it is the shore from sea). In the foreground and in full body, a boat with a sail appears with a circus richly dressed characters and with their respective nimbus (these decorated with geometric elements and engraved vegetables), two women and three men. Note the anecdotal detail of the fish crossing the waters under the ship. In the Golden...

Mortar with pestle. Bronze. Spanish school, 17th century. Bronze mortar with a convex mouth, a raised base facing outwards and a cylindrical body decorated on the outside with relie...

Mortar with inscription. Bronze. Spain, 1846. Mortar made of bronze with flared mouth and truncated cone body developed without discontinuity and decreasing in diameter to the base....

Bronze in its color and gold, lapis lazuli, rock crystal, enamel. In the centre of the work is presented, enthroned, the figure of Mary, with a mantel (fireplace) on her shoulders and hair and holding on her knees the child, who appears addressing one of the angels. The virgin is also sheltered by an ogee arch supported on turned columns, and raised visually by steps. This composition achieves a very striking contrast: the dark bronze figure, in contrast to the lapis lazuli background and the part of the arch and the outside of it, in gilded bronze. Under the steps there is a heraldic enamel shield with a key on an azure background. The angels, kneeling, are flanking this figure, and, appearing in dark bronze, visually share the "category" of religious figures with Mary, while their (lower) position gives more status to both the Mother and Jesus. The rest of the composition is completed with a delicate landscape: constructions and walls on mountains, clouds in the sky, plants, stones, etc. To the outside, another lapis lazuli frame is placed decorated in the corners with appliques, giving way to carved and polychrome wood. The lapis lazuli is a semiprecious stone already known in the seventh millennium BC., found in deposits from the Caucasus to Mauritania. From the end of the middle ages, it increased its export to Europe, its use being more frequent since then both to use it as a pigment in paintings after grinding it (giving rise to the finest and most expensive of the blues, and of the colors in many occasions), as for backgrounds of paintings, incrustations in works of art, jewelry and, a little later, in the well-known "hard stone works". The figure of Mary still shows an influence of Gothic models, although more European than Italian, along with elements that could already show a closeness to the Renaissance: although the nakedness of Jesus is already shown in Gothic works (Madonna with Angels by Fra Angelico ), the creation of space by playing with the cloth in front of Christ can be appreciated in more advanced paintings (Virgin with Child by Domenico Ghirlandaio, National Gallery of London); the presence of a powerful throne can be seen frequently in Italian Madonnas of the Quattrocento (and before), but not quite as presented here. As for the landscape, it is necessary to compare it, for example, with that of the fresco of the Condotiero Guidoriccio de Fogliano (Simone Martini, finished in 1328). This is a work of great technical and aesthetic quality, not to mention the materials chosen for its creation, comparable only to outstanding examples from around the world, such as those preserved in the Palazzo Madama in Torino (Italy), where the coral It also has an important role. It is essential to mention, also, works such as the plate of hard stones (lapis lazuli between them) with a relief of Mary with the Child in...

Possibly Saint Hubertus or Saint Eustace. Carved, polychrome and gilded wood. Spanish school, 16th century. Carving in polychrome and gilded wood, sim...

15th century Gothic Virgin Gothic Virgin of the 15th century Virgin in carved and polychrome wood of the 15th century. In its original state, muse...

Flemish hand embroidery from the 15th to 16th century adorns this chasuble fragment, depicting scenes of the Virgin Mary Madonna and child amidst a garden setting. Created with lavis...

15th century Spanish Gothic Virgin and child polychrome figurative wooden sculpture.

Fabulous handwritten and illuminated book page. Beautiful period piece with gorgeous faded colors and typical gilded Gothic initials, France, 15th ce...

15th century period Gothic Tabernacle, extremely rare (Medieval) architectural religious art, museum quality ecclesiastical altar piece. This is an ...

Anonymous Second half of the 15th century; Northern Italy, possibly Milan Gilt bronze Approximate size: 17.2 x 13 cm The present pax probably derives from a finer original realized in more precious materials. For example, the vigor of its central motif is carved in such a way as to suggest the original artwork was conceived in carved stone or perhaps mother-of-pearl. The intricacy of its frame suggests a separate master adept in silverwork. Overall, this bronze pax...