Europe

GREAT BRITAIN -- "ENGELLANDT mit dem anstossenden Reich Schottlandt so vorzeiten Albion und Britannia haben geheissen". (Basel, c. 1590). Partly handcolored woodcut double-page map from S. Munster's 'Cosmographey'. 330 x 408 mm. (Lower margin cut short (touching the line), tiny hole in upper margin, sl. foxed/browned, lower right corner a bit thumbed). Sebastian Münster's 16th Century Map of the British Isles from 'Cosmographia Universalis...

16th century German Gothic fireback with a religious theme. The fireback is made of cast iron and has a black / pewter patina. The condition is good, n...

Renaissance diamond ring. An impressive 16th century ring, set with a square point cut diamond in a closed back rubover setting with an approx...

This rare Renaissance cabinet is richly decorated on the doors and drawers with carvings depicting the four seasons, and on the uprights and the entablature, alternating flower bouquets inlaid with mother of pearl. This is a beautifully conceived piece of furniture, representing a crowned portico with its entablature and cornice. The upper body Articulated separately in a ternary rhythm, as with the lower body, the upper part opens with two carved doors. The doors are framed by both the lateral uprights and the casing. There are cartouches carved into the casing in which mythological figures are depicted with flower bouquets. On the doors: On the right: Spring, a female figure crowned with a wreath of leaves, holding a basket full of flowers. She is wearing necklaces and bracelets on each arm, with drapery discretely wrapped around her body and is standing on a winged putti’s head. On each side are depicted a tree and a village with a steepled church. Above her head floats the three signs of the zodiac corresponding to the season: Aries, Taurus and Gemini. On the left: Summer, a bearded man crowned with ears of corn and bearing armfuls of corn. He is standing on a similar winged putti, flanked by a tree and an ear of corn. The following three signs of the zodiac appear: Cancer, Leo and Virgo. On the uprights and the central casing a number of smaller figures seem to represent virtues and vices that newly wedded couples should aspire to and avoid. On each side, at the bottom of the uprights, there is a dog representing fidelity. Above, a lion embodies power, wisdom, and justice. In between, on the left upright, there is a figure of noncombatant Athena wearing a helmet and holding a spear, an arrow pointing down and in her left hand, a shield, symbol of protective power. On the right upright, the goddess Venus controls the arrow of Cupid. The iconography here acts as a clear reminder of the required virtues that both parts of a young couple need to fulfill: fidelity, power, wisdom and justice. For him, the goddess Athena focuses on the power. Whereas for her, it is Venus who shows how to control Cupid’s arrow. On the central casing at the bottom, by way of contrast, there is a peacock, a symbol of pride and at the top, a monkey representing lust and mischief. In between, a woman holding a chain and a cup full of precious stones while on the floor sits a half empty opened casket. This can be interpreted as a symbol of extravagance. Above, the entablature, decorated with male figures resting on leaking urns, may symbolize the passing of time. They are flanked by two consoles decorated with acanthus leaves and separated by flower bouquets (inlaid with mother of pearl). Finally on top, a cornice acts as a crown for the piece of furniture. The lower body The moulded base stands on four round, flattened feet. Represented on the doors: On the left: Autumn, a stocky, naked man crowned with vine leaves, holding fruits in his right hand and with his left, picking a bunch of grapes from a climbing vine. Standing on a mound, he is surrounded by a vine and a hill, at the foot of which a man presses the grapes in a big vat after the harvest. Above the climbing vine appear the signs of Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius. On the right: Winter, an elderly man wearing a fur cloak...

Outstanding Spanish carving of San Juanito, 16th century, school of Juan de Ancheta. Juan de Ancheta (1533 - November 30, 1588) was a Spanish sculptor in the Romanesque style. His w...

Beautiful Madonna with child, original polygrome, circa 1500 Flemish, South of Netherland.

This is an absolutely outstanding and extremely expressive sculpture of Crucified Jesus Christ in carved polychrome wood, on the background of a 16th century Silk Florentine fine fab...

Oakwood Original lock and key   This beautiful and robust chest stands on square feet ending in flattened buns. The base presents plain mouldings. The facade is divided in four panel...

Saint Jerome. Oil on slatted panel. Surroundings of KEY, Willem. 16th century. With monogram (illegible) and dated (right ear of the saint). Oil on oak panel showing a thin, elderl...

Very rare untitled antique woodcut map showing the region of the missionary journeys of Apostle Paul. It shows the Mediterranean with Greece, Asia Minor (Turkey), Northern Africa, So...

Truly Magnificent Large over size Antique Pillow A very rare late 16th Century English Needlework Panel The entire surface worked by hand Finished with 18th century Chenille bra...

Jacopo BASSANO (c. 1510-1592, Italian) Portrait of a Procuratore Oil on canvas 30 ¼ x 26 inches (including frame) Provenance: Lucien Bonaparte’s Collection (as Portrait of Doge Priuli, Tiziano); Rich-mond, Virginia Museum, Portrait of Doge Lorenzo Priuli. The painting is a portrait of a man half-length, on a black background. It is a three-quarter portrait, according to a custom very common in the genre of portraiture in sixteenth century. The man is wearing a decorated...

1625 Petrus Plancius / Johannes Cloppenburg Map of the Holy Land with Biblical Vignettes This exquisite 1625 map by Petrus Plancius and Johannes Cloppenburg represents the Holy Lan...

Dream of a saint. Carved and polychrome wood. Flemish school, 16th century. Relief made of carved and polychrome wood that shows an old man with a particular headdress (reminiscent of some chaperones) lying on a bed and accompanied by two friars dressed in habits, who talk to each other. Iconographically, the figure of the old man lying on the bed (note the cushion that raises the upper part of the body, following the common use of the time) who has not died (probably) because he was not completely lying down, is reminiscent of how he was usually represented, for example, to San Antón, San Jerónimo, etc. It is not very likely that it is the subject of the Transit or Death of Saint Francis of Assisi due to the absence of the Stigmata and due to age. It would be part of a cycle of scenes in the altarpiece of a church, an accompaniment that would give the viewer more clues about the identity of those represented. Stylistically, Flemish sculpture...

Beautifully decorated antique fireback or "ofenplatte". This used to be one of the sides of an antique stove made from several decorated firebacks. B...

Pair of reliefs, San Juan and San Mateo. Polychrome wood. Possibly, Burgos school, 16th century. Pair of carved and polychrome wood reliefs that each show a seated human figure wri...

Title: Early Woodcut Map of Franconia and Surrounding Regions, 1628 Franconia (Franckenlande) is a region in Germany. Historically, Franconia was a significant part of the Holy Roma...

Oil on Canvas. Second half of the 16th century. The painting comes from the historical family collection of Count Castracane, as is documented by the original handwritten paper recei...

This engraving illustrates the capture of Limburg by Spanish forces under the command of Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, in 1578 during the Eighty Years' War. The scene vividly dep...

This print depicts the Antwerp warship Fin de la guerre, a massive vessel constructed during the Siege of Antwerp (1584-1585). It is a copperplate-engraved oblique profile of the D...

Fantastic old master painting of a women, 16/17th century With frame: H. 107 W. 90 D. 10 cm H. 42.1 W. 35.4 D. 3.9 in Without frame: H. 80 W....

Early Arista y cuenca tile fragment made in Toledo. Tile decorated in renaissance with stylized flowers was probably made between 1550 and 1575. Losses and wear.

Cristoforo (Cristofano) Roncalli (Pomarance, Italy, 1552 - Rome, Italy, 1626) Title: Saint Catherine of Siena chooses the crown of thorns Medium: Oil on wood Dimensions: without frame 101.5 x 59.5 cm - with frame 120 x 76 cm Shaped, carved and sculpted wooden cassetta frame, partly gilded and partly ebonized wood Expertise by Marco Ciampolini and Alessandro Nesi, art historians The marvellous scene that opens before our eyes is that of Christ's apparition to Saint Catherine of Siena; she must choose between a golden crown, the symbol of earthly royalty, and a crown of thorns, the symbol of virtuous Christian sacrifice. Catherine does not hesitate to choose the crown of thorns, her life in imitation of...

Title: Avstriae Descrip – Wolfgang Lazius’ Map of Austria, 16th Century Description: This extraordinary map of Austria pays homage to the Austrian humanist and cartographer Wo...

Virgin with Child & St John, late 16th c. Florentine school Late 16th c. Florentine school Virgin with Child and St John the Baptiste Oil on white marble, h. 41,5 cm, w. 32 cm 17th L...

This is an exceptional original drawing by world famous Camillo Procaccini (born in the Renaissance era in 1561 in Parma and died in Milan in 1629,...

This chayère chair of beautiful proportions stands on a rectangular box base enriched by vermiculure motifs executed in flat-plane. This base is topped by a moulding of strong gadroo...

Fireback from 1561 with the coat of arms of Jacques de Tige, son of Gobert de Tige and Catherine de Serainchamps, and Blanche de Villelongue, daughter of Jean de Villelongue and Clau...

Allegory of Time. Oil on panel. Circle of Jacob de Backer (act. Antwerp, 1571-1585). Exhibition: “Reality, time and artifice. Still life and vanitas in baro...

Title: 1620 Ptolemy and Magini Map of Taprobana (Sumatra) with Elephant Inset, Italian Edition Description: This rare and beautifully hand-colored 1620 map engraving, Tavola Duode...

Belgium / 16th century / wooden sculpted panel / oak / Gothic / Rustic / Antique A panel in oak wood enriched with Gothic graphic carvings. Hand carved in Belgium in the 16th centur...

Antique print titled 'Das rennen und stechen'. Engraving of a Medieval tournament. This print originates from 'Thurnier Buch. Von Anfang, Ursachen, ursprung und herkommen (..)' b...

Luis de Morales, called 'El Divino' (Badajoz 1509 - 1586) workshop of La Pietà with Saint John Oil on panel (82 x 65 cm /In frame 109 x 92 cm) STATE OF CONSERVATION: The panel is in good condition, with restorations and cracks clearly visible from the pictures. Gilded and lacquered wooden frame, in good condition. We present this intense Pietà executed on wood panel, the work of a painter of the late Spanish Renaissance who drew on the celebrated iconographic model created by Luis de Morales, known as El Divino (Badajoz 1509-1586), a subject reproposed by the artist and then by his flourishing workshop in numerous versions. This is an extraordinary work, in which the author demonstrates incredible realism and emotional depth in his portrayal of the Madonna and Christ, accompanied by Saint John the Evangelist. In an extremely devout Spain, Luis de Morales counts himself as one of the painters most interested in the dramatic aspects of Christ's life, from his painful Passion journey to his death. This devotional subject, the Pieta, so frequent in Christian art, is renewed in Morales' art with enormous expressive force; it is not for nothing that the artist was nicknamed the Divine, and not only for the creation of a devotional iconography in line with the spirituality of the time, but also for the intrinsic intensity of his religious paintings. The depiction, to great dramatic effect, shows Christ, immediately after being deposed from the cross, gently welcomed into the arms of the Virgin. The intense maternal compassion is also evident in the expression on her face, which, always aware of her son's fate, exudes suffering, melancholy but also serene resignation. Christ, abandoned in his mother's embrace, shows an emaciated and sorrowful face, made even more ghostly by his half-open mouth. The tree of the cross looms over the figures, emphasised by an evocative dark, completely monochrome background, to which the three figures are contrasted with strong lighting. Evident in Morales' painting is the devotional slant typical of Counter-Reformation painting, accentuated by a style that recalls both Italian painting for its research and chiaroscuro effects, and Flemish and German painting for its strongly accentuated dramatic tones. The work shows a strong physical and psychological characterisation of the characters, rendered by the marked chiaroscuro effects and the plastic construction of the figures, also using a sfumato technique, which show the primary influence of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Sebastiano del Piombo. On the other hand, his Flemish training is evident in the anatomical modelling and treatment of the folds of the Virgin's dress, which retain the sharpness of the Nordic painting tradition. We can mention, among the most beautiful versions similar to our composition: - Fig.1 Luis de Morales (c. 1520-1586), La Piedad, c. 1568, Óleo sobre tabla 72 x 50 cm.
Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao - Fig.2 Luis de Morales, La Piedad, c. 1560, Óleo sobre tabla 126 x 98 cm.
Real Academia de Bellas - Fig.3 Luis de Morales, La Piedad, 1565 - 1570, Oil on panel 42 x 30 cm.
Museo del Prado - Fig.4 Luis de Morales, Triptych of the Pietà St John and St Mary Magdalene...

Pauwels Franck, known as Paolo Fiammingo (Antwerp, 1540 - Venice, 1596) Venus lying in a landscape Oil on canvas 116 x 150 cm. In antique frame 136 x 170 cm. The work is accompanied by a critical card by Dr. Federica Spadotto The splendid painting proposed sees portrayed, bare and stretched out on a red brocade cloth in gold sprinkled with roses, a refined and sensual Venus, in a composition with a profound symbolic value, and arriving at the perfect representation of the Renaissance woman who, like Venus, becomes an allegory love, eros, beauty and fertility. The canvas is part of the prestigious Venetian artistic and cultural environment of the second half of the sixteenth century, whose distinctive distinctive trait can be traced back to its cosmopolitan vocation. This characteristic, as Dr. Spadotto noted in her in-depth study, belongs to the same physiology of the Venetian capital, that is, being a distinctly commercial city located in a strategic point with respect to trade. Representing one of the liveliest ports in the Mediterranean also meant witnessing the continuous passage not only of goods, but of men, ideas, suggestions from distant countries, which influenced not only the taste of their people, but above all art. This happened thanks to the circulation of prints, as well as pictorial specimens, to which are added the stays of great foreign artists and, above all, the permanence in the capital of a non-negligible number of Dutch, Flemish and German masters. An emblematic case in this regard comes from Pauwels Franck (Antwerp, 1540 - Venice, 1596), better known as Paolo Fiammingo, who established himself in his native city at a young age - in 1561 a figure enrolled in the Guild of San Luca - and arrived in Venice in 1573. . He resided in Venice from 1584 until his death, although the stylistic and formal references of some of his works have led critics to believe that in previous years he had undertaken a journey to central Italy, or to Florence and Rome, where he would have metabolized the lively cultural debate that permeated these cities and which, on the other hand, seemed completely absent in Venice. Here Paolo will be fascinated by the sense of color and by the atmospheric component fixed on the canvas by Jacopo Tintoretto (Venice 1518 - 1594), of which he becomes a collaborator, to undergo, around 1590, the suggestion of Paolo Caliari...

Frisia, Groningen and Overijssel – Rare Woodcut Map by Münster, c. 1550, Germany This highly decorative 16th-century woodcut map titled “Von dem Teutschen Land: Seelentfrie” was pub...

A unique piece of great historical and aesthetic value, this antique Gothic mortar has been hand-carved from a single block of light marble. Its robust shape and sculpted side fins e...

Large high relief in carved and gilt wood, with many traces of polychromy, representing the Adoration of the Shepherds. The evangelist Luke first mentions that the scene takes place at night. A sudden light, which frightens the shepherds, signals the arrival of an angel who announces "great joy". He gives them a sign: they will find "a newborn baby wrapped...

An extremely impressive, strikingly attractive and very rare Spanish oak and studded leather bench in good antique condition. Most likely made around 1890 in Spain in the Spanish Col...

Very rare Ming dynasty porcelain ewer with ottoman gem-set tombak mounts Chinese and Turkish, 16th/17th century Measures: Tombak: height 20cm,...

Elegant oratory or prieu dieu (prayer Kneeler) in walnut and burr walnut from northern Italy circa 1600 Very beautiful Italian Renaissance furniture...

Bolognese School of the 16th Century Mummy of Saint Catherine of Bologna
Oil on Panel 20,5 x 7 x 0,8 cm This rare painting depicts Saint Catherine of Bologna as a mummy, housed in a ...

Lovely decorated piece. A rare type with landscape China Jingdezhen kilns Ming Dynastie, Jiajing or Wanli Reign Provenance: – Private collection Netherlands Additional information: ...

RARE RENAISSANCE TABLE WITH FIXED TOP ORIGIN: FRANCE PERIOD : SECOND HALF OF THE 16th CENTURY, c. 1560-1580 Height: 87 cm Length: 158 cm Width: 78 cm Walnut wood Good condition...

Post Medieval gold posy ring 'BE x TRV x TIL x DEATHE x AND x SO // SHAL x I' ('be true till death and so shall I'). A D-shape band decorated on the exterior with five rectangular pa...

A late 16th century Renaissance richly carved walnut center table France, The Loire Valley area Dimensions: h. 33.46 in., w. 59.45 in., d. 36.22 in. Our remarquable table is a fabu...

Carved wooden sculpture of Mary Magdalene, circa 1500. Large limewood sculpture with traces of polychromy representing Mary Magdalene, German work, circa 1500. H: 80cm. W: 35cm, D: ...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Elizabeth I English sterling silver seal-top spoon; an addition to our 16th century silver flatware collection. This exceptional antique Elizabethan sterling seal top spoon* has a pear-shaped bowl to a faceted stem. The rounded bowl of this impressive antique silver spoon is plain and unembellished, apart from the feature assay mark. The faceted stem terminates with a knopped circular seal matrix/die bearing the initials 'SPSW'. The knopped terminal and bowl of the spoon retain the original gilding. Such 16th century examples in this condition are becoming increasingly difficult to locate. * Seal top spoons became popular in England in the later 16th and 17th centuries. NOTE: After surviving the Great Fire of London, the records at the London Assay office were destroyed by fire in 1681; their catalogues and documentation began again in 1697. Due to this unfortunate event, we are unable to associate a maker to this spoon. Condition This antique silver seal...

Unique and extremely rare medieval wooden Madonna with traces of her original color Original period piece, South of France, circa 1500 or older Weathered, small losses and old repair...

Giacomo Stella (Brescia 1545 - Rome 1630) Allegory of Wisdom (or prudence) Oil painting on canvas 193 x 75 cm., In frame 199 x 82 cm. The work is accompanied by critical study drawn...

Carved wooden sculpture - San Mauro. Italy, 16th century. 54 x 30 x h 110 cm. Entirely in carved and painted wood with traces of polychromy and gilding. - Work registered at the b...

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Rectangular body casket with semicircular lid made of carved wood and covered with a worked leather that has been reinforced with a series of forged iron fittings, material in which ...

A stunning large antique Chinese Zhangzhou (Swatow) blue and white shallow porcelain dish of rounded form decorated centrally with a standing phoenix bird set amidst flowering blooms...

Belgium / 16th Century / cabinet / oak / Antique / Rustic Primitive Antique cabinet in full oak. Hand crafted and carved in the 16th Century in Belgium. Crafted from blond solid oak...

France / 1550 / sideboard / oak / rustic / antique / wabi sabi Hard to find antique sideboard in full oak with handcrafted sculpted panels, made in France, around 1550. This impress...

Saint Anthony with the Child Jesus. Wood. Mechelen School, 16th century. Sculpture in carved wood worked, as was usual in that center, on the front because it was designed to be pla...

Antique map titled 'Insularum Aliquot Maris Mediterranei Descriptio'. A very attractive example of Ortelius' map combining, on one page, maps of the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, Corfu, Elba, Malta and Zerbi (Jerba, off the coast of Tunisia.) The maps detail fortifications on the islands and other major features. (Jerba, for instance, is shown connected to the mainland by a causeway.) The waters are attractively engraved and are sailed by ships. A shipwreck, north of Malta, indicates the point at which St. Paul is thought to have shipwrecked. Volcanoes are indicated in the Sicily map...

Hand Made Bespoke Pillow Featuring extremely rare Medieval Orphrey Panel from what must have been a very important set of Vestments Dating from 15th Century. Upon antique Aubergi...

GIOVANNI FRANCESCO BARBIERI, known as GUERCINO (1591-1666) Leaning Nude Man (recto); Kneeling Man, Hands Tied Behind His Back (verso) Black chalk heightened with white on light blu...

Pair of 16th Century Iznik "Dome on the Rock" ceramic tiles. These tiles formed part of the ceramic tile pattern that covers the exterior of the base of the Dome Of The Rock shrine, ...