Hôtel Lambert, Une Collection Princière, Volume III : À travers l’Hôtel Lambert
Hôtel Lambert, Une Collection Princière, Volume III : À travers l’Hôtel Lambert
A pair of Egyptian porphyry vases, Rome, in Louis XIV style, after Silvio Calci
Auction Closed
October 13, 06:27 PM GMT
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 EUR
Lot Details
Description
A pair of Egyptian porphyry vases, Rome, in Louis XIV style, after Silvio Calci
each with carved spiraled gadrooned body and cover, on wasted socles and circular bases
height 22½in.; width 19¼in.; depth 15¾in.; 57 cm.; 49 cm.; 40 cm.
(2)
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Paire de vases en porphyre égyptien, de style Louis XIV dans le goût de Silvio Calci
height 22½in.; width 19¼in.; depth 15¾in.; 57 cm.; 49 cm.; 40 cm.
(2)
Acquired from Frank Partridge, 2012.
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Acquis auprès de Frank Partridge, 2012.
Philippe de Malgouyres, Porphyre: La pierre pourpre des Ptolémées aux Bonaparte, Musée du Louvre, 2003, pp. 104-41, no. 47.
The model of these vases is part of a consistent group which enjoyed a great success in Rome, a model which embodies the Baroque design dynamism through carved gadrooned and spiralled sections, with several degrees of depth and boldness of carving.
This group has been associated to the carver Silvio Calci, who is known to have delivered vases in porphyry and marble to the Borghese and Doria-Pamphilj families, having worked with sculptors such as Alessandro Algardi.
The closest to the present lot, in proportions, is a pair of vases at the Louvre, from the collection of Louis XIV (OA9225/6). Part of his first wave of commissions from Rome, these were purchased through Abbé Benedetti, the Roman agent to Cardinal Mazarin who, after the prelate’s death, started working for Louis XIV.
Dario Del Bufalo lists also another two vases close in design to the present lot, one in the Odermatt Collection, Austria (D. Del Bufalo, Porphyry: Red Imperial Porphyry, Power and Religion, 2012, p.148, V67) and another in a private collection in Brescia (idem, p.151, V93).