An Italian Glazed Terracotta Relief of a Seraph, Della Robbia Workshop, Late 15th Century

the white glazed haloed cherub's head and wings upon powder blue ground, framed in white borders on three sides.

Repaired cracks in upper left and lower right corners. Repaired diagonal crack from upper right through to lower left. Some repair to upper edge of halo. Repair to nose. Repair to far right wing tips. Repair to narrow area of feathers below his chin and edge of wing to the left of his right cheek. Otherwise chipping and surface abrasions. Restorations well done. Stable and attractive.
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.

This charming winged seraph head is an example of a device frequently seen in friezes, frames, and predellas of the altarpieces that eminated from the della Robbia family workshop.  Andrea della Robbia trained under his uncle Luca from a young age and worked by his side before taking over the workshop by 1470.  Andrea's style was more complex, colorful, and expressive than Luca's finer, more reserved work, and under his direction the workshop grew considerably, producing a wide variety of altarpieces, tabernacles, busts, and architectural elements.  By 1500 the quality began to decline as more of the work was taken on by assistants, including several of Andrea's sons who would carry on the family business after Andrea's death in 1525.  The quality of the present work points to the period of Andrea's supervision in the late 15th century.

A comparable relief bearing the same three-sided white border, possibly from the same commission, was sold at Parke Bernet Galleries, November 5, 1942, lot 33.

The lot is sold with a thermoluminescence analysis report from Oxford Authentication Ltd. indicating that sample number N208b96 were last fired between 150 and 250 years ago.  It is noted that all samples appeared to contain a contaminant, probably for restoration or consolidation and this has affected the TL signal.