Italian, Naples, late 17th century

numbered: I to IIII; one of the female saints with relic

E. Catello and C. Catello, Scultura in argento. Nel Sei e Settecento a Napoli, Sorrento, 2000, pp. 90 and 168, no. XXX

Overall the condition of the busts is good. There is wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There is some rubbing to the gilding and some tarnishing to the silver throughout. There is some dryness to the patina in the crevices. One of the female saints has two fissures along the top edge of her veil. The figures can be detached from their bases; the halo is also separate. The silver face were set in as are the silver cartouches to the socles. The copper receptacles for the relics at the chests of the figures are empty save one; there is some wear to their silvering at the front. The socles have been balanced with lead.
"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."

A particularly important collaboration between painters and sculptors with silversmiths developed in 18^th-century Naples. Neapolitan sculptors would provide silversmiths with models to cast or embellish, creating a form of art that proved considerably popular among a cultured clientele. Ciechanowiecki observes how Naples ‘perhaps more than any other [city], used [silver] as a standard by which to measure its wealth’ (op. cit., p. 298) and the present beautifully detailed busts would have been intended for domestic devotion in an affluent Neapolitan household. The torsi are engraved with great sensitivity and the combination of gilt bronze with silver achieves a fine chromatic effect.

RELATED LITERATURE
A.S. Ciechanowiecki, 'Sculpture in Naples', The Golden Age of Naples, exh. cat. The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, and the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 1981, vol. ii, p. 287-306