Milan Animal Sculptures

Polpo is a hand-blown glass sculpture that captures the fluidity and grace of an octopus. "Light and silent, the sinuous movements of the octopus seem domesticated and united with th...

Painted Meissen porcelain rooster sculpture. love, made in the 1980s Ø cm 15 Ø cm 8 h cm 18 Meissen porcelain is considered one of the earliest and finest examples of European porc...

Playful true-to-life silver armadillo that serves as a lighter other than being a decorative artwork in its own right. Expertly made by the Florentine...

An African safari in the comfort of one’s home comes that much closer with this ceramic zebra statuette. The animal – at rest with its front legs crossed...

Russian ceramic sculpture depicting a polar bear, made in the 1950s Ø cm 11 h cm 11 Russian ceramics boasts a rich and long history dating back to t...

A symbol of strength and energy, the majestic head of the horse is represented in a fragmented cut that brings modernity to the entire sculpture. Since ancient times, it was believed...

Set of three Murano glass birds. Two of them designed by Alfredo Barbini for VAMSA. Original sticker on the young sparrow.

Pair of antique Italian rooster sculptures, hand-made in Italy in the early 20th century, in the Art Nouveau period, inspired to the Animalier style, ...

Murano glass aquarium by Vetreria Cenedese with double marine figures, made in the 1950s Ø cm 17 Ø cm 4 h cm 11 Vetreria Cenedese is a name that resonates in the universe of artist...

Ceramic standing horse sculpture by Aldo Londi for Bitossi. Blue crystalline glaze enhancing the details of the decoration.

Pair of bookend with enameled metal, depicting Pomeranian dogs sit on marble bases. England circa 1920.

This striking sculpture in the shape of a tiger-skin cat ("gatto tigrato" in Italian) is crafted of top-rate ceramic painted using white and black enamels. Rendered in whimsical and impressive details, this original decorative piece belongs to the Riedizioni Archivio Storico Collection, which includes Bitossi's cult designs...

Symbol of strength and virility, the bull is a staple in ancient Roman figurative art. The majestic head of the animal, animated by a powerful look and masterfully rendered musculatu...

Pair of bookends in veined green marble with orthogonal structure. On the marble base there are two identical metal sculptures, depicting two Toucan birds with an amber ball...

Splendid Italian Nickeled Brass Parrot on a Branch Sculpture, 1970s Nickeled brass and Green glass eyes.

This antique stone mask was probably used in a fountain. It is a very decorative Italian antique object. The mask fits as decorative object on a bureau o...

Guido Cacciapuoti ceramic horses, 1940.

Preciousness and uniqueness merge in this horn sculpture. An exclusive addition to elegant private studies or sideboards in refined living rooms, it features burnished brass elements...

Italian modern Sculpture of sitting rough collie dog in ceramic, 1970s Sculpture of a sitting long-haired rough collie dog, in brown, white, beige, pink ...

Italian modern black and white ceramic sculpture of Harlequin Great Dane dog, 1980s Large sculpture, depicting a Harlequin Great Dane dog, with a...

Aries Head sculpture in gilded bronze and brass pedestal made in the 1970s Ø cm 20 h cm 43 Aries is rich in symbolism, intertwining astrological, mythological and cultural meanings...

1970s Original big travertine fish sculpture by F.lli Mannelli. The item is in excellent condition. Made in Italy. Dimension: 8,26 w x 1,18 D x 2,36H inches L 21 cm x P 3 cm x cm 6 H.

Italian Mid-Century Modern Ceramic statue of a feline animal cheetah, 1960s Ceramic statue of a cheetah in defense position. The animal has wide open mouth and eyes. Finely crafted ...

Imagine a small but enchanting Italian bronze sculpture that captures an unexpected moment of nature's beauty. It's a delicate portrayal of Two Mating Pigs, created by a skilled 20th...

An agate table switch featuring a small terrier dog. The switch is carved and sculpted entirely in agate and carnelian. The body of the switch has a hexagonal base, the profile rises...

1970s Original large travertine giraffe sculpture by Enzo mari for F.lli Mannelli. The item is in excellent condition. Made in Italy. Dimension: 2,75 w x 1,18 D x 7,87 H inches L 7 ...

Terracotta nativity sculptures depicting the neck and head of an ox. The sculpture is made of terracotta entirely by hand, finished in stick and color. In the nativity scene, the ox ...

Italy, 1950s. Made in airbrushed ceramic. They are vintage pieces, therefore they might show slight traces of use, but they can be considered as in excellent original condition and ...

Golden antimony metal sculpture, depicting an English Bulldog dog, mounted on a veined black marble base. Signed J. B. America circa 1890.

Playful true to life silver frog that serves as a lighter other than being a decorative piece of artwork. Expertly handmade by the Florentine silversmiths, the Lisi Brothers, its rea...

Stylish bronze Art Deco sculpture of walking black panthers by the well know sculptor Irenee Rochard, great executive quality in depicting the movements of felines and great attentio...

Made in Italy, 1980s. This fish is made in polychrome Murano glass and features its original label. It is a vintage piece, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but it can be...

Ceramic bird sculpture, made by Cacciapuoti in the 1950s Measures: Ø cm 22 Ø cm 20 H cm 35.

Discover the epitome of elegance with this exquisite pair of Egyptian sphinx statues. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, these magnificent sculptures are made of scaiola pl...

Made in Italy, 1920s - 1930s. This miniature horse is made in hand-modeled Murano glass. It might show slight traces of use since it's vintage, but i...

Ceramic sculpture designed by Matteo Cibic and produced by Superego Editions, 50 pieces limited edition. Signed and numbered. Biography Matteo Cibic was born in Parma, Italy, on Oct...

Collectible Plexiglass 1970s Lion by Silvio Russo for Guzzini. Original label.

Gallo model bronze sculpture by Luciano Minguzzi. Limited edition of 1500 pieces. Number 451. Signed. Biography Luciano Minguzzi was born in Bologna in 1911 and died in Milan in 200...

1970s Original big travertine hedgehog sculpture by F.lli Mannelli. The item is in excellent condition. Made in Italy. Dimension: 3,93 w x 0,78 D x 3,93 H inches L 10 cm x P 2 cm x c...

Benedetta works in many materials but is most well known for her innovative and extraordinarily wire work. Each piece starts life as flat rolled chicken wire which is gradually shape...

Seguso “Unicorno”.

Murano, Italy, 1980s. This rare decorative object, which can also be used as a paperweight, depicts two colored fishes in an aquarium with its own algae and corals. It is made in m...

Exceptional Centerpiece Alfredo Barbini V.A.M.S.A. Murano Glass 1940/50

Folk art walking stick: carved wooden handle depicting a Great Dane dog’s head, sulphur glass eyes. Fruit wood shaft and metal ferrule. Germany ...

Italian modern Statue of cat in red and white terracotta by M. Moretto, 1980s Statue of cat lying down looking upwards, in withe soft pink and red painted terracotta. The cat's eyes...

Flavio Poli bull Murano glass, 1950, Italy.

Splendid blue Murano glass hippopotamus

Sea monster Carrara marble mouth fountain Italy, late 16th century It measures 13.8 x 31.5 x 18.9 in (35 x 80 x 48 cm) State of conservation: some small evident gaps and widespread signs of wear due to outdoor exposure. The gray marks crossing it do not come from restoration, but are rather the natural veins of the marble. This work has some morphological characteristics typically associated with the iconography of the sea monster: an elongated muzzle, sharp teeth, protruding eyes, elongated ears, and a coiled serpent's tail. An in-depth series of studies on artistic depictions of the sea monster attempted to verify how this symbol evolved in antiquity in the European and Mediterranean contexts and how it gradually changed its image and function over time. The iconography itself is mutable and imaginative and its history is rich with cultural and artistic exchange, as well as the overlapping of ideas. This occurred so much that it is difficult to accurately pinpoint the "types" that satisfactorily represent its various developments. However, we can try to summarize the main figures, starting from the biblical Leviathan and the marine creature that swallowed Jonah (in the Christian version, this figure was to become a whale or a "big fish", the “ketos mega”, translation of the Hebrew “dag gadol”). Other specimens ranged from the dragons mentioned in the Iliad (which were winged and had legs) to "ketos” (also from Greek mythology), the terrifying being from whose Latinized name (“cetus”) derives the word "cetacean". See J. Boardman, “Very Like a Whale” - Classical Sea Monsters, in Monsters and Demons in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds, in Papers presented in Honor of Edith Porada, Mainz am Rhein 1987, pp. 73-84). In Italy the monster underwent yet further variations: it can be found in Etruscan art on the front of some sarcophagi representing the companion of souls, while among the Romans we find the “Pistrice” (cited by Plinio in Naturalis Historia PLIN., Nat., II 9, 8 and by Virgilio in Eneide: VERG., Aen., III, 427), which appeared in the shape of a stylized hippocampus or a very large monstrous cetacean and evolved into a hideous being with a dragon's head and long webbed fins. During the Middle Ages, the sea monster was the object of new transformations: at this time, it is often winged, the head is stretched like a crocodile, the front legs are often very sharp fins - sometimes real paws - until the image merges with dragons, the typical figures of medieval visionary spirituality widely found throughout Europe (on this topic and much more, see: Baltrušaitis, J., Il Medioevo fantastico. Antichità ed esotismi nell’arte gotica, Gli Adelphi 1997). In Italy during the 15th and 16th centuries, the revival of classicism - representative of the humanistic and Renaissance periods - led to a different reading of these "creatures". Indeed, the sea monster was also to find widespread use as an isolated decorative motif, especially in numerous fountains and sculptures where dolphins or sea monsters were used as a characterizing element linked to water (on this theme see: Chet Van Duzer, Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps, London, The British library, 2013). From the morphological point of view, the "sea monsters" of this period are mostly depicted as hybrid figures, in which the body of a mythological or real being (a hippocampus, a sea snake, a dolphin), is joined to a head with a rather indistinct appearance. It was usually characterized by large upright ears, an elongated snout, sharp teeth and globular, protruding eyes; a complex and indefinite figure, both from the symbolic point of view and from that of its genesis. The work we are examining is placed as a cross between the medieval sea serpent and the Renaissance dolphin, with stylistic features which recall the snake as often used in heraldry (such as the "snake" depicted in the coat of arms of the Visconti - the lords and then dukes of Milan between 1277 and 1447 - and which, for some, may be derived from the representations of the “Pistrice” that swallowed Jonah). In the search for sources, Renaissance cartography and in particular woodcuts should not be neglected. See for example the monsters of Olaus Magnus, from the editions of the “Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus” (“History of the peoples of the north”) and the natural histories of Conrad Gesner, Ulisse...

Italian modern Sculpture of standing bulldogge dog in beige black ceramic, 1970s Sculpture of standing olde english bulldogge dog, in beige an...

Ronzan “stile” Jaguar ceramic, 1950, Italy.

This piece is one of the few that could be attributed to MARIO CACCIAPUOTI , in his brief stint with the MARIO CACCIAPUOTI AND C, In Milan. It is made of stoneware and plated with s...

Walking stick: silver handle, depicting the head of a horse. Ebony wood shaft. Metal ferrule. Germany 1900 ca.

Antique figurative pocket knife, chiseled and guilloché, representing a rabbit lying down with its ears down. Brass handle plates with three rivets, spring and steel blade. Signed Th...

Seguso Seashell Murano glass gold leaf inclusions, 1950, Italy.

Parrot-shaped sculpture Psitaccus Dino Martens (1894 - 1970) Vetreria Artistica Rag. Aureliano Toso, 1953-1956 It measures 9.055 inches in height x 4.13 in x 5.90 in (23 cm, 10.5 cm x 15 cm) It weighs 1.997 lb (906 g) State of conservation: intact. The small glass sculpture...

German art decò polychrome porcelain eagle by Fritz Heidenreich for Rosenthal in the Selb department in 1930. Eagle sculpture in polychrome porcelain, resting on a rock also in porce...

Horse, one of nine sculptures depicting animals of different species, entirely covered in fur; each animal rests on a wooden base, three of which have a label underneath which indica...

Bronze sculpture depicting a moving horse, fixed on a rectangular bronze base. France circa 1890.

Ceramic sculpture depicting on owl created by Franco Bratta in 2006, Albisola. Signed.

Vetrerie Toso, Italy, circa 1930s. It is made in blown glass and polychrome paste. A clear sign of the authenticity of the piece, its age and its creation is the presence of ash particles in the glass. It is a vintage piece, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but it can be considered as in excellent original condition and ready to become a piece in a home. Literature: Giordana Naccari, Cristina Beltrami, ed. Skira, "L' Arca di Vetro. La Collezione di animali di Pierre Rosenberg...