Gugliemo Pugi

This exuberant bust depicts a Bacchante, a female follower of Bacchus, the ancient God of Wine. She is identified by the pine cone, which is associated with the thyrsus that was used by revellers in Bacchic rituals. The bust's carving shows considerable finesse in its handling of surface details.

The Italian sculptor Guglielmo Pugi was a master of the Art Nouveau style. He resided in Florence until his death in 1915, establishing a workshop with his two sons, Gino and Fiorenzo. Many of Pugi's sculptures were exported to the United States, and several were shown at the Pan-American exhibition of 1901 in Buffalo, as well as at the World Fair in St Louis in 1904.