Pair of 19th Century Simulated Porphyry Scaglioli Columns

An unusual pair of Victorian marble revolving topped pedestals. One marked ‘Forced Lesson’, one marked ‘Forced Prayer’. These beautiful pedestals were clearly designed to hold sculptures with the titles of the works inscribed on the stems. The fact that the pedestals, and therefore the related artworks, were clearly made as a pair has allowed us to research them and we are delighted to have discovered that, at the Melbourne International exhibition in 1880, Pietro Bazzanti and Son of Florence exhibited two artworks with the names Forced Prayer and Forced Lesson (items 338 and 339). Another artist also exhibited a piece titled Forced Prayer at the same exhibition but Forced Lesson is a very unusual title and, as stated before, the fact that the pieces were clearly intended to be a pair reinforces the attribution of provenance in this case. These fine pedestals are a very practical and usable size and the carved swag and star detailing are very desirable attributes. They would make a fine pair of display stands for vases...

A Pair of Davenport Admiral Lord Nelson Terracotta Wine Coolers, each relief moulded with a portrait of Admiral Viscount Nelson, in full uniform and medals, between two acorn-bearing oak boughs on one side and a naval panoply on the reverse. The rim comprises tied reeds with twin dolphin-mask handles attached to the sides. English, circa 1815. Two very similar examples from the collection of Horatio, third Lord Nelson, are illustrated in an article titled ‘Nelson Relics and Relic Hunters’ in The Windsor Magazine, Vol. XX. June-November 1904, p.519. (See also page 4.) A thirdwith a paper label stating ‘Exceedingly rare (Lockett)’ was exhibited at the Hanley Museum, item No.1721 (see Britain on the High Seas, from Nelson to Churchill, p.71, Wick Antiques...

A pair of Egyptian porphyry and bronze candelabra after Charles-Antoine Bridan, each comprising a bronze figure and two candle branches set on a cylindrical porphyry base with ormolu...

A pair of Napoleon III Moroccan burr thoya wood urns, turned from the solid, each in the form of a slender urn and cover on a shaped base, with an ormolu flame finial, beading and la...

Square platform top above a porphyry standard on an out stepped socle ending on a square base

A striking pair of Italian 19th century Scagliola and black Belgian marble pedestal columns. Each pedestal is raised by a square black Belgian marble base below a beautiful double mo...

A very handsome pair of Italian 18th century faux marble and mecca columns. Each impressive and robust column is raised on a square faux marble base. Above is a mecca socle that supp...

This pair of monumental bronze Corinthian style columns, crafted circa 1900 in New York, evoke the grandeur of turn of the century architecture. The capitals of the columns are in th...