Vintage Pair of Burl Veneer Obelisk with Metal Elephants, Mid-20th Century Italy

A powerful and dramatic pair of Italian neoclassical carved and gilt wood mythical animal figures on faux painted bases, mid 19th century or earlier, Italy. The fantastic beasts are well carved, with dramatic wings that follow the sensuous curve of the neck, and a sinuous body ends in an eel-like tail gracefully curled in upon itself. The bearded heads feature a flattened snout with sharp teeth and a lolling tongue, and pointed horse ears and mane. The long forelegs stretched out in front of them and ending in pawed and clawed feet. The beasts have characteristics of several different mythical animals, making them hard to positively identify. The most likely candidates would be dragons, hippocampi, or chimeras. The beasts are unfinished to the back, indicating they were originally part of a relief decoration, possibly from a mirror. They have now been mounted to wooden bases faux painted to imitate porphyry. They would make perfect bookends or mantle sculptures.

A delightful pair of Chinese export famille rose enameled porcelain candle holders, late Qing Dynasty or early Republic Period, early 20th century, China. The whimsical pair of ca...

Pair of Mid 20th Century Italian Green Alabaster Obelisks. Both in good condition.

A pair of vintage Italian alabaster bookends, mid-20th century. In rare colorful layers of stone, these unique bookends will add bold style and sophistication to any interior. Hand-c...