Attributed to the Workshop of Benedetto Buglioni (1459/60-1521) Italian, Florence, circa 1500

one inscribed: Po/1096 / 855 40 in ink to the proper right wing, and the other inscribed: 52671/2 in ink to the proper right shoulder

Overall the condition of the terracottas is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are joints at both necks (these may be original, the heads are probably made separately). There are a few small chips to the bottom edges, stable fissures in the drapery, and minor dirt to the crevices. Right angel: The top half of the proper right wing is reattached. There are some losses to the bottom tips of the wings and to the proper left elbow. There is a stable original fissure towards to the base at the back, which runs underneath to an original lacuna. Left angel: A section of the base is lost below the proper left leg. The bottom part of the proper left wing is lost and there is a loss to the edge of the wing further up. There is a fissure below the drapery emanating from the aforementioned lower wing loss. There is a small chip to the proper left thumb.
"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."

These serene candle-bearing angels may be firmly associated with the Florentine workshops that specialised in the production of glazed terracotta sculpture. The foremost of these was the Della Robbia family, whose members created numerous models of kneeling angels bearing candelabra, which usually served to adorn altars and tabernacles. These ranged from the austerely classicising angels made by Luca della Robbia for the Florence Duomo in 1448, to the lively and exuberantly draped figures conceived by Luca’s great-nephew, Giovanni. By the time Giovanni directed the Della Robbia workshop, candle-bearing angels had become popular decorative elements and were produced in relatively large numbers, sometimes repeatedly cast from moulds.

The present angels compare well to those of Giovanni della Robbia in their dress, with intersecting bands on the chest and gathered sleeves, however their short hair and slim frames suggest a different origin. The angels' uncommon pose, with one instead of both hands placed on a plain candelabrum, is mirrored by a pair of angels in the Louvre (inv. nos. Camp. 52 and Camp. 53), which have been only tentatively given to the Della Robbia workshops. Instead, their unusual facial style, which is also distinct from that of the present Angels, has been said to evoke models by Antonio Rossellino and his workshop (Paris op. cit., p. 67, no. II.6). This would support an attribution of the present pair to the workshop of Benedetto Buglioni, who competed with the Della Robbias between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Buglioni’s style was strongly influenced by sculptors such as Antonio Rossellini and Andrea Verrocchio, whom he may have assisted before learning the art of glazing terracotta. Moreover the thick curls of hair and heavy eyelids that characterise the present pair of Angels are found in many of the figures attributed to Buglioni, in particular the Bust of the Young Saint John in Krefeld and the Kneeling Angel in Cavriglia (Marquand, op. cit., p. 57, fig. 40 and p. 20, fig. 14).

The level of detail in their modelling suggests that the angels were originally unglazed, which is rare in the oeuvre of the Della Robbia and Buglioni workshops. Frequently, however, the heads and flesh of figures were left bare in otherwise glazed compositions, and it is possible that the present angels were once partially glazed.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Marquand, Benedetto and Santi Buglioni, New York, 1972; G. Gentilini, I Della Robbia e l'arte nuova della scultura invetriata, exh. cat. Basilica di Sant'Alessandro, Fiesole, Prato, 1998, pp. 156-157 and 257-258; Les Della Robbia. Sculpture en terre cuite émailée de la Renaissance italienne, exh. cat. Nice and Sevres, Paris, 2002

This lot is sold with a thermoluminescence analysis report dated 27 June 2008 from the Luminescence Dating Laboratory of the University of Szeged, Hungary, stating that the samples taken were last fired between circa 1500 and 1700.