An Italian bronze covered inkstand, circle of Giuseppe de Levis (1552-1611/14), early 17th century, Verona

Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, March 23-24, 1973, lot 98

San Francisco, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes from the Abbott Guggenheim Collection, 3 March-11 September 1988, cat. no. 20

L. Camins, Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes from the Abbott Guggenheim Collection (exh. cat.), M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, 1988, pp. 64-65, cat. no. 20

Pitting and casting flaws throughout. Dirt and some white build up in recesses. Some verdegris. Rubbing throughout. Some filing to underside of lid and bottoms of feet. Putto atop lid reattached with modern threading, screw and washer. Interior of inkwell rough and irregular .
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.

North Italian sculptors working in bronze such as Nicolò Roccatagliata, Andrea di Alessandro Bresciano, and Giuseppe de Levis often borrowed motifs from one another, making it difficult to distinguish the original inventors of specific designs. Giuseppe de Levis is known for bells, plaquettes, domestic decorations, and figures bearing his distinctive signature, including a pair of candelabra and matching inkstand formerly in the collection of Sir John Martin-Harvey (Avery, op. cit., p. 66, fig. 9) which closely relate to the present inkstand.  Two other comparable examples with similar horse-head supports are in the Thyssen-Bornemiza collection and the Kestner-Museum, Hanover (Radcliffe, op. cit., no. 41, pp. 234-237 and p. 236 fig. 1).

RELATED LITERATURE

C. Avery, "Giuseppe de Levis of Verona: Bronze founder and sculptor of the late sixteenth century" in Studies in European Sculpture, London, 1981, pp. 45-78
A. Radcliffe, The Thyssen-Bornemiza Collection: Renaissance and Later Sculpture, London, 1992