Northern Italian, Lombardy or Emilia, circa 1500

There is dirt and surface wear consistent with age. There is general wear to the polychromy throughout in particular to the forehead. The polychromy appears to have been partially refreshed. There are a series of restored firing cracks or possible breaks including at the nape of the neck and running from the centre of the chest to the proper right shoulder and at the proper right arm. There is a particularly prominent restored fissure running from the base to the proper right armpit. This may represent either restored firing cracks or possibly restored breaks. There is particular wear to the paint at the hair. There are some chips to the hair. There are various small pits and lacunae. There are some losses to the base including at the front to the proper left side and at the back. Otherwise the condition is good and stable.
"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."

The symmetrical facial features, domed forehead, central parting of the hair and forked beard of this bust of Christ, are ultimately derived from Verrocchio's celebrated figure of the Redeemer from his monumental Christ and St. Thomas bronze group on Orsanmichele in Florence, which was begun in 1467. This conception became one of the canonical models for Christ, profoundly influencing generations of Italian artists long after Verrocchio's death. However, unlike the Verrocchio model, the present figure of Christ faces forwards, with no tilt to the head. The hair is also somewhat more stylised with distinctive curls falling from the domed head, a late 15th-century fashion seen in two busts in the Victoria and Albert Museum (Pope Hennessy, op. cit., nos. 191 and 193).

RELATED LITERATURE
J. Pope-Hennessy, Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Volume I: Text. Eighth to Fifteenth Century, London, 1964, pp. 205-207, nos. 191, 193; S. Bule, A. P. Darr and F. Superbi Gioffredi, Verrocchio and Late Quattrocento Italian Sculpture, Florence, 1992, p. 129, fig. 90; A. Butterfield, The Sculptures of Andrea del Verrocchio, New Haven and London, 1997, pp. 56-80

A Thermoluminescence Analysis Report conducted by Oxford Authentication (Sample No: N116m35) stated that the date of last firing from the samples taken from this bust was 'Between 400 and 700 years ago'. The Report is available upon request.