Lot 53
  • 53

An Italian carved white marble rhyton, in the manner of Piranesi early 19th century

Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 GBP
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Description

  • marble
  • Total height approx: 180cm.; 5ft.11in.
terminating in a boar's head and carved with acanthus,lotus,  vine leaves and grapes, the rim with guilloche enclosing flowerheads, on a veined grey marble plinth

Condition

An attractive and unusual lot in overall good condition. There is an upper section which was not illustrated in the catalogue photograph but is viewable on the internet which is not permanently secured to the rest of the cornucopia and we would recommend that it is permanently attached with filler . There are a few quite large chips to the rim, especially to the underside and old restorations and some hairline cracks to the same section not illustrated in photograph with a small area of orange discolouration which is also visible on leaf carved cornucopia section in photograph on page 76 of the catalogue. The carving is very good quality. There is restoration to the upper section of the leaf carved area of the cornucopia which is evidenced by the change in colour, but this has been well executed. There is a large chip to the corner of the plinth below the boar's head, as visible from photograph on page 77. The marble is slightly dirty and would benefit from a light clean according to taste. Chips generally to plinth and old repaired breaks as visible from photograph. Measurements: Total height approx: 180cm.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Comparative Literature:
John Wilton-Ely, Giovanni Battista Piranesi,The Complete Etchings, Volume II, San Francisco,1994, page 1074, plate 993.
Exhibition catalogue, Musée de Louvre, D'après l'antique, Paris, 2000, page 154/155.

This rhyton is based on an etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 -1778) of a funerary monument depicting a marble rhyton terminating in a boar's head found in a tomb on the Via Appia, reproduced here in fig.1. In the ancient world the rhyton was a bacchic symbol and over the time became the symbol for Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships. In the Louvre Museum, there is a pair of rhytons with spouts in the form of bull's heads, from the 1st century AD formerly in the Borghese collection, reproduced here in fig. 2. They originally flanked a statue of Ceres and were probably used on a late Roman fountain. 

Furthermore, Napoleon's celebrated architect Charles Percier (1764-1838) drew these Borghese rhytons in his sketches of the Gladiator Hall in Villa Borghese, Rome (album Voyage à Rome 1786-1791)

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778):
Born in Venice in 1720, G.B. Piranesi went to Rome in 1740 as a draftsman for the Venetian ambassador. His unparalled accuracy of depiction, his personal expression of the dramatic and romantic grandeur of ancient Rome and his technical mastery made his works some of the most original and impressive representations of architecture to be found in Western art.