North Italian School, circa 1500

Sale: The Cyril Humphris Collection, Sotheby's, New York, January 10, 1995, lot 18
Acquired at the above sale by A. Alfred Taubman

Losses to black opaque lacquer revealing rich patina underneath. Standard surface abrasions. Two hooves with screws for attachment to later base.
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.

The monumental equestrian bronze group of Marcus Aurelius, originally made for the Campidoglio, Rome, was the most important statue from antiquity to survive above ground. That may have been due, in part, to its erroneous identification as a portrait of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor. The great classical bronze is also among the first statues from Antiquity of which bronze reductions were made.

Of North Italian origin, the present statuette is a fine Paduan cast based on the Marcus Aurelius horse (see Related Literature, below, Haskell and Penny, pp. 252-255). The sixteenth century Paduan sculptor Severo da Ravenna also adapted the classical statue into an inkstand with an upturned shell added to the base in order to contain the ink.

RELATED LITERATURE:
Leo Planiscig, Riccio, Vienna, 1927, p. 206, fig. 243
Francis Haskell and Nicholas Penny, Taste and the Antique, The Lure of Classical Sculpture 1500-1900, New Haven and London, 1981, pp. 252-255, fig. 55
Natur and Antike in der Renaissance (exhibition catalogue), Frankfurt-am-Main, 1985 - 1986, pp. 353-359