A North Italian terracotta bust of a condottiere second half 15th century, Lombard

Lazzaroni Collection, Paris

Michelle Lazzaroni and A. Munoz, Filarete: scultore e architetto del secolo XV, Rome, 1908, p. 277

Chipping, wear, and minor losses including to tips of leaves in garland and parts of raised moldings on armour. Surface abrasions throughout. A horizontal seam below the nose and a vertical seam bisecting the top of the head at the center are visible and are probably vestiges of the bust's construction, possibly with a mold. Very small areas of restoration throughout: including edges of shoulders, leaf tips above forehead, jowls, underside and on partially hollowed reverse including back curls of hair. Fill in back of shoulders. Stable and well executed. The later base with chipping to paint.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Formerly attributed to Antonio di Pietro Averlino, called 'Il Filarete', this bust depicts a gentleman of authority. The treatment of the eyes and overall modelling of the face relate to Lombard sculpture of the Quattrocento; compare an anonymous terracotta head of a Pope in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Pope-Hennessy 1964, fig. 399) with similarly depressed cheeks, incised pupils and irises, nearly identical arched eyebrows indicated with single dashes of the stylus and comparable, flattened lips.

The vertical and horizontal mould marks visible upon examination of this bust suggest that some of the features, like the chain mail and hair, may have been cast from a plaster piece-mould taken off a life or death mask of the subject. Another bust, almost identical, but lacking the laurel wreath, is illustrated in Lazzaroni (op.cit., p. 215), further underscoring this hypothesis.

This lot is sold with a copy of a Thermoluminescence Analysis Report from Oxford Authentication Ltd indicating that sample N106H13 was last fired between 400 and 700 years ago.

RELATED LITERATURE

John Pope-Hennessy, Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum, vol. III, London, 1964, p. 244, fig. 399