South German, probably Augsburg late 16th or early 17th century

Overall the condition of the bronze is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The bronze is cast in five pieces and original casting joints are slightly visible through the middle of the body from head to tail, through the head and where the tail meets the body. The horn is slightly loose. There are are a few areas of discolouration to the gilding, including to between the buttocks. There are a few minor casting flaws, including a short pour to the underside of the proper right back leg.
"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 gilt-bronze unicorn is transformed into a drinking cup once the detachable head is removed. The large eyes with prominent pupils and the stipled treatment of the pelt are typical characteristics of late 16th and early 17th-century South German bronze representations of animals and evoke the virtuoso work of gold and silversmiths active in Augsburg at this time. An appropriate comparison can be found in a silver-gilt prancing deer with detachable head in the Städtische Kunstsammlungen, Augsburg (inv. no. 12342). The fashion for sculptures of both real and mythical beasts is exemplified by the Fountain of the Animals commissioned by Duke Julius von Braunschweig-Lüneburg in the 1570's (Chipps-Smith, op. cit. pp. 239-9). The present bronze compares particularly closely, both in size and modelling, to a gilt-bronze figure of a stag, sold in these rooms on 10th March 1983, and, more recently, to another, sold in the Collection Yves Saint Laurent et Pierre Bergé sale, Christie's, Paris, 25th February 2009, lot 575.

RELATED LITERATURE
J. Chipps-Smith, German Sculpture of the Later Renaissance c. 1520-1580. Art in an Age of Uncertainty, Princeton NJ, 1994, pp. 237-239; Welt im Umbruch. Augsburg zwischen Renaissance un Barock, exhib. cat. Rathaus, Augsburg, 1980, vol. ii, pp. 417-419, no. 794; E. F. Bange, Die Deutschen Bronzestatuetten des 16. Jahrhunderts, Berlin, 1949, pp. 141-143, nos. 150-155, 157-162