Northern Italian, Lombardy, early 16th century

one inscribed: .MOISES. and: DILIGE / PROXI / HONORA / PATREM / TUU[M]. 
the other inscribed: .ARON.

Overall the condition of the marbles is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is veining to the marble consistent with the material including a vein running diagonally through the roundel with Aron. There are losses and chips to the coin decoration at the edges; in particular to the right side on the Aron relief. Much of the coin decoration and part of the ground is lost on the upper left side of the Moses relief. There are chips to the noses. There are a few further minor chips including to the edges of the drapery. The surfaces are a little waxy and grainy in areas; this may be due to moisture seeping into the upper surfaces of the marble. See, for example, Aron’s proper right hand and scroll. The sides and backs are roughly hewn, as is to be expected.
"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."

This attractive pair of relief roundels with the biblical figures of Moses and Aaron reflect characteristics of Lombard sculpture of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century, when a small group of sculptors and architects began decorating façades and portals with portrait reliefs placed in roundels or lozenges. The present reliefs were certainly conceived within the circle of influence of artists such as Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (1447-1522) and of the brothers Antonio and Cristoforo Mantegazza, who all worked on the iconographic scheme of the façade of Certosa di Pavia, the monastery of the Carthusian Monks in Pavia. The conception of portrait reliefs in this way has been said to stem from the study of Roman coins by Lombard sculptors, but was soon adopted for a more Christian motif: the façade of Certosa di Pavia was initially designed to include at least 34 Old Testament figures (Hourihane op. cit. p. 607). Although these were not all conceived as planned, four such reliefs can still be seen on the southern façade. 

Further comparisons with the present reliefs can be drawn to the figures on the façade of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Lugano, attributed to Amadeo. These show Old Testament figures holding scrolls bearing their names, and are similarly attired to the figures on the Moses and Aron roundels. 

RELATED LITERATURE
C. Hourihane (ed.) The Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art & Architecture, Volume IV, pp. 605-607; M. Leino, 'Italian Renaissance plaquettes and Lombard architectural monuments', Arte Lombarda no 146-148, 2006, pp. 11-126