Italian, Tuscany, 14th century

There is wear, weathering and dirt throughout. There are chips and losses to the drapery including larger losses to the nose and upper lip, area of drapery on the bottom left side, top of the head and the drapery on the right side of the relief. The relief is thin in the crevices between the head and drapery which has led to some minor losses. There are two drilled channels at the collarbones. There is some natually occurring veining and stable hairline fissuring visible on the surface. Overall the condition of the head is 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."

This interesting relief is stylistically reminiscent of the work of Nicola Pisano (c. 1220 – before 1284) and his school. In particular, the broad face with elongated eyes, framed by a veil and surmounted with a diadem, compares with a section of a screen from Siena Cathedral, attributed to Nicola and his workshop, now in the V&A [inv. no. A. 21-1948], as well as figures from his Baptistry Pulpit at Pisa and a relief, attributed to his school, in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena (see: Seidel, op. cit. pp. 173, 212-213.) The more naturalistic modelling of the face would nevertheless suggest a fourteenth century date.

RELATED LITERATURE
M. Seidel, Arte italiana del Medioevo e del Rinascimento. Volume 2: Architettura e Scultura, Venice, 2003, pp. 172-173, 212-213; A. Garzelli, Sculture toscane nel Dugento e nel Trecento, Florence, 1969, pp. 258-259, figs. 65, 66