A South German ivory and wood group of the Archangel Michael fighting Lucifer, late 17th/18th century

General, standard wear and surface abrasions. Areas with some restored breaks and age cracks with some losses include: Lucifer's hands and wrist area and three finger tips, top of his proper right hand, his proper left heel and front half of foot and toes (all reattached), and St. Michaels proper left arm and fingers (reattached). Michael's proper left leg has restored breaks and may have later additions. His implement is glued to his right hand and one finger is restored. There are age cracks and minor chips to some edges (such as wings). Repaired cracks on Michael's wings and perhaps some well-carved replacements. The base probably contemporary to the figures. Minor restorations and one replaced branch on base. Wood surface of the figures has been lacquered. Stable and lovely composition.
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The dramatic composition of the present group depends on an ivory and wood sculpture of the same subject and size, formerly in the collection of Grand Duke Ferdinando II, preserved in the Museo degli Argenti, inv. no. A.s.e. 167. Carved with an elaborate base of rocaille and rockwork decoration, the sculpture entered the Palazzo Pitti collections when the Grand Duke, later Prince of Würzburg, moved his kunstkammer from Germany to Florence.

The composition recalls the silver group of the same subject attributed to the Neapolitan sculptor Lorenzo Vaccaro (1665-1706) and the present and Pitti groups anticipate the work of the prolific Tyrolean sculptor Simon Troger (1683-1768) whose use of both materials, ivory and wood, secured his reputation.

RELATED LITERATURE
Kirsten Aschengreen Piacenti, "Seven Ivory and Wood Groups from Würzburg" in Barocke Kunststückh, Festschrift für Christian Theurerkauff , Sculpture Studies in Honour of Christian Theuerkauff,  Munich, 2011, pp. 102-106