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TWO RELIEFS, EVANGELIST SAINTS JOHN AND MATTHEW. POLYCHROMED AND GILT ...

Pair of reliefs, San Juan and San Mateo. Polychrome wood. Possibly, Burgos school, 16th century.
Pair of carved and polychrome wood reliefs that each show a seated human figure writing, surrounded by books and accompanied by a figure respectively. One, with black hair and a beard, appears accompanied by another winged child figure who brings him an inkwell; the second, younger (beardless) and with blond hair, is shown concentrating on a scroll, while an eagle brings him an inkwell with one leg, leaning on one of them.
As corresponds to this type of theme, each one of the Evangelists usually appears accompanied by the corresponding figure of the four that make up the Tetramorph. Thus, Saint John is shown with the eagle and Saint Matthew with the "winged man." Both are shown surrounded by books, in two interiors decorated with gilded furniture and seated on high-backed chairs or thrones. Note the vegetal scrolls of the books, furniture and walls, accompanied by elements of candelieri and fish or dolphin heads, in compositions reminiscent of those found in Renaissance works. This classicist influence can also be seen in the figures (faces, folds, anatomy, posture, etc.) and in the environment they occupy (for example, the moldings and scrolls of the seats and desks, or the aforementioned decoration of the bindings of the books that appear in both works).
The iconography that appears in this couple is frequent in the Spanish art of the time, often located in the lower part of the altarpieces (Altarpiece of Foncea, Burgos school). Compare, for example, with the Saint John the Evangelist in the Altarpiece of the Assumption of Ullíbarri Viña (execution attributed to Juan de Ayala II, painted before 1579 by Juan de Oñate) in the Basque Country, where three books also appear in a mezzanine From the bottom; or, to see a different composition, with the set of four Evangelists attributed to Felipe Bigarny (dated between 1501 and 1525) from the Castilian school of the National Sculpture Museum (Valladolid); or with the relief of San Marcos from the altarpiece of Santa Eulalia de Markinez or Marquinez of the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art of Vitoria-Gasteiz (attributed its sculpture to the workshop of Juan de Ayala II and the polychrome to Santos Corres, dated in the second half of the 16th century sculpture and polychrome in 1747).
In addition to Felipe Vigarny, in Burgos surroundings it is necessary to take into account Bartolomé Ordóñez and Diego de Siloé (two of the most important names of the first third of the 16th century), along with teachers such as Juan de Balmaseda, Andrés de Nájera, Juan de Juni (he also worked in the city), etc."

· Size: 72x4x99 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0662A
PSYCHE REVIVED BY CUPID’S KISS. GREEN AND ALABASTER. AFTER ANTONIO CAN...

"Psyche revived by the kiss of love", "The love of Psyche" or "The kiss". White marble and green marble. Following the model of the work of CANOVA, Antonio (Italy, 1757-1822).
A carved green marble pedestal serves as the base and accent of a well-known marble sculpture. This base has a decoration of classicist influence from the polygonal base (vegetal elements, bulls, scotch, garlands, smooth moldings, etc.), thus joining with the figurative sculpture. It has a rocky base, with plants, on which is a young, half-naked woman, who raises her arms towards an elegant winged male figure, who is embracing her from above.
In the Metamorphoses (or The Golden Ass) of Apuleyus, it is said that, by an oracle, Cupid was sent to destroy Psyche, but he fell in love with her and took her to his castle. The young Psyche, pushed by her sisters, tried to discover the identity of her mysterious husband, burning him with a candle; furious, the god throws her out and she, repentant, goes to Venus to atone for her guilt. The goddess of beauty then entrusts her with a series of tasks that she completes, the last being to go to the Underworld for what she says is a Proserpine beauty salve. The girl opened the bottle despite her mother's warnings, and fell into a deep sleep from which she was only able to wake up thanks to Cupid's kiss.
Antonio Canova created two slightly different versions of this theme (that kiss that revives the beloved). The original of the first, preserved in the Louvre Museum in Paris, in 1787, was finally finished in 1793 by order of John Campbell (Lord Cawdor), but it would be kept by Henry Hoppe in 1800, later passing into the hands of Joaquin Murat. The second version (followed by the present sculpture) was commissioned by Prince Nicholas Yusupov or Yussupoff, and its plaster model dated 1794 is in the Metropolitan Museum in New York while the marble sculpture is kept in the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg. . This plaster model mentioned was inherited by Canova's assistant, Adamo Tadolini, who used it to make new examples of this group (such as the replica of Villa Carlotta -Tremezzo, Italy- made between 1818 and 1820. However, and given the great popularity and appreciation of both this work and the master, a large number of sculptures are known that are inspired by one version or another, such as those by Pietro Bazzanti (Italy, 1825-1895), one of which follows the work by Yusupov and is in a private collection; it should not be forgotten that this well-known marble sculpture appears in paintings from the 19th century, in boxes (such as the gold, enamel and glass from the 1700s of the Hermitage), clocks, cameos, etc. , and that a large number of masters created their own versions of these two compositions by Antonio Canova (Gaspare Landi, Auguste Rodin, Calum Colvin ...).
If the present work was bought with that of Antonio Canova, a series of small differences can be appreciated (base, plants, position of the wings, etc.) that speak in favor of this example as it is not a literal copy. In fact, it presents more elements in common with the work of masters such as Pietro Bazzanti, especially if we take into account the green marble base decorated with embossed garlands."

· Size: 95x45x182 cms. Escultura 80x40x70 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0606
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CHRIST. PARTIALLY GILT COPPER. LIMOGES, FRANCE, CA BEGINNING OF THE 13...

Crucified Christ. Copper with traces of gilding. Limoges, France, around the beginning of the 13th century.
Christ crowned with open arms and perizonium or long purity cloth tied to one side. The holes in the hands and feet and the fact that it is hollow at the back show that it was part of a work. It is a crucified with three nails, a common typology in the Middle Ages and, above all, from the Gothic period.
Stylistically, it is clear that this work belongs to the Limoges enamels of the thirteenth century, and it would be part of a plate or would have been attached to a cross or a casket, all elements decorated with the usual technique, champlevé enamel, in the usual tones. (blue, yellow, green ...). The figure would have been completely gilded, and the inclination of the head, the lines that mark the anatomy of Jesus, the face and the shape of the arms and feet, among other details such as the iconographic type of the deceased Christ, relate it to the end. of the Romanesque and the beginning of the influence of the Gothic.
Compare this example with the Crucified on the plate from the Art Institute of Chicago (inventory 1943.79) from around 1200-1210, one in the Metropolitan Museum in New York (25.120.441) with the cloth of purity enameled in the characteristic blue tone of the center. producer, two in the British Museum in London (numbers 1925,0609.1 and 1882,1101.7) or that of the Cross of the Louvre Museum (OA 9956), which is very similar to the present and to the Cross of Ukna of the Nationalmuseum of Stockholm, this as the only preserved example of these small sculptures that still preserves the processional cross to which some would be subject according to the studies carried out. These similarities have turned out to be common thanks to the comparison between the examples that have come down to us, and that were one of the main details that contributed to making Limoges the main center for creating enamels of its time because using similar prototypes made the pieces somewhat more accessible to the market. Limoges, after inheriting the techniques of the Monastery of Silos (Spain), made a huge number of different works with these forms, so valued that they were exported throughout Europe in such quantity that today we have received a few examples of great importance in form of caskets, pixels, crosses, binding covers, etc."

· Size: 20x17x2,5 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z6619
POLYCHROMED AND GILT RELIEF FRAGMENT. “EVANGELIST”. ALONSO BERRUGUETE’...

Altarpiece sculpture in gilded and polychrome wood. "Evangelist". Surroundings of Alonso Berruguete (ca.1490-1561).
The young male figure is represented barefoot and dressed in a golden cape that also covers his legs and contrasts with the brown clothes. She looks to the side and her hair is shown blowing in the wind, while holding an object with both hands. It was part of an altarpiece, hence the back part has not been worked, alone or in a composition with more figures.
Without a context and with a single iconographic attribute, identifying the carving is more complicated. He is a sacred figure: he would not be a Father of the Church because of his youth; most likely it is an Apostle, in which case it may be Saint Thomas, Saint Simon or Saint Jude Thaddeus, if the object carried is a small architect saw (instead of a square, for the former) or an ax small for seconds. Stylistically, it still maintains a great use of gilding, details that are more characteristic of the Gothic sculptural tradition. However, the expressiveness of his face, the magnificent anatomy that can be seen despite the clothes and the naturalness of the posture relate the work to a great Renaissance influence. The movement of the work is what delimits the style to Mannerism.
Alonso González Berruguete was a Castilian sculptor and painter, son of Pedro Berruguete, who expanded his training in Italy since 1507, especially in Florence, where his contacts with Bramante, Miguel Ángel, Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea del Sarto are known. He brought to Spain all this direct influence of the Renaissance, Mannerism and the ancient models that he knew first-hand. He worked in Zaragoza and Huesca, and later established his residence and opened his own workshop in Valladolid. He became one of the main Spanish sculptors of the 16th century, and spread Italian Mannerism. In this work you can see all this: note the anatomy, proportions, movement and expressiveness. Compare the sculpture, for example, with the main altarpiece of the Mejorada de Olmedo Monastery (1523-1526), or with that of San Benito el Real de Valladolid (1526-1532), both in the National Sculpture Museum of Valladolid."

· Size: 25x20x70 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z5824
TWO IVORY SCULPTURES. 17TH CENTURY.

Pair of ivory sculptures. XVII century.
Both figures stand on darker bases. The female is dressed in a long, short-sleeved tunic, showing the sleeves of a shirt with delicate pleats, and a cloak on the shoulders that falls to the feet and covers the figure from the front. The male, elderly and bearded, also presents a cloth covering her waist to the feet, and the sleeves rolled up.

Their identity is somewhat difficult to ascertain due to the lack of iconographic attributes, but their features and position suggest that perhaps they are two of the three figures that would have formed a Holy Family, missing the Child Jesus in this case and in the case of Mary and Saint Joseph. Or it is also probable that it is San Joaquín and Santa Ana, missing in this case the figure of the Virgin Mary as a child.
The high quality of the sculptures can be seen both in the material used and in the carving, with great delicacy in the folds and with a certain pictorialism in the hair. Stylistically, their membership in the Baroque is clear despite the classicist influence they present, common in certain currents of this style throughout Europe. Between around 1600 and the middle of the 18th century, trade routes to the African coasts were recovered that allowed access to ivory from numerous European centers, coinciding with the development of the Baroque, especially in the area of the Netherlands and Central Europe, with a prominent center around the papal court of Rome and without forgetting the Hindo-Portuguese school. The theme varies, although small religious works abound, highly appreciated by the upper class and important religious centers. As the seventeenth century progressed, the Italian classicist influence spread through Germany, Austria and the rest of the centers of central Europe, in some cases agreeing with a more traditional trend.
It has an ivory expert document"

· Size: 9x9x22 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z6789
CHILD JESUS SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD, HISPANO-PHILIPPINE. IVORY. 17TH CENT...

Infant Jesus of the Ball. Ivory. Hispano-Filipino School, 17th century.
Baby Jesus made of polychrome carved ivory in some specific areas and placed on a carved and gilded wooden base. This one presents very pronounced curves and movement, and a very studied decoration based on vegetal elements.
Iconographically, this figure of the Child Jesus standing, holding in one hand the Orb of Creation and blessing with the other, is known as the "Child of the Ball", and has a strong relationship with that of the Salvator Mundi, known among others by paintings such as Leonardo da Vinci but very common already at the end of the European Middle Ages (the adult Salvator Mundi would appear in northern Europe in the second half of the 14th century). This piece responds to the popularization of a large number of iconographies of the Child Jesus that occurs in the Baroque. Nudity is common in this type of sculpture, as it is works designed to be dressed and adorned with velvets, silks, embroidery, silver, etc.
Aesthetically, it is related to examples of the Baroque Spanish school of the seventeenth century. Note the hairstyle with a slight memory of the works of Martínez Montañés, to name a name. Compare, for example, with the Children conserved in the “Sala Marfiles” of the Museum of Mexican History of Monterrey (Nuevo León, Mexico), or with the Philippine Child Jesus of the 17th century in ivory of the Museum of America in Madrid, or non the Hispano-Filipino from the 18th century from the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection at the Middlebury College Museum of Art (Vermont, United States).
The religious carvings made in ivory were doubly appreciated for the prestige and richness of the material and for the theme of the same in a time like the Baroque, focused on the defense of Catholicism in some areas and eager to show power and influence like all. In the present case, it is also necessary to take into account the “exotic” factor, as it is a Hispanic-Filipino piece: together with the peninsular influence, it is possible to see the “touch” of the Filipino artists (Chinese settled in the islands, premises, etc.) in these jobs with slightly slanted eyes, bulging eyelids, etc. Although they were sometimes made and commissioned for the private chapels of the upper classes of the time, it is common for these types of sculptures to have been preserved in religious centers of great importance, where they have been found as donations.
It has an ivory expert document."

· Size: 11x11x29 cms. Altura niño 20 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0601
”SAINT ROCH”. POLYCHROMED AND GILT WOOD SCULPTURE. JUAN DE ANCHIETA WO...

"San Roque". Polychrome and stewed wood sculpture. Surroundings of Juan de Anchieta, 16th century.
A bearded male figure stands, holding a book and wearing a pilgrim hat on his back, in addition to presenting himself showing his right leg and resting his foot on a quadruped with something in his mouth. To his right, a naked child looks towards the saint while touching his leg with his left hand.
He is presented with the angel on his left, the plague wound or buba on his leg (normally, the one shown is the other), the pilgrim's hat and cape, and the dog with the loaf of bread placed under one of his feet. in a very unusual way. All these attributes help to identify the image with San Roque, an Occitan pilgrim canonized in 1584, highly venerated before this date, especially because he is considered a holy healer, especially in cases of pestilence.
A marked influence of the Italian Renaissance is clearly noticeable in the carving: of Michelangelo in the corporeity and anatomy of the two figures, the expressiveness of the saint, the composition, etc. These details, together with other peculiarities such as the hair and the proportions, allow the sculpture to be related to the workshop of Juan de Anchieta (Azpeitia, around 1533- Pamplona, 1588), a sculptor of great importance in 16th century Spanish art with work in the north of Castilla, Aragon, the Basque Country, Navarra and Burgos, considered one of the main figures of Romanism. It is believed that it was formed in Italy, hence its stylistic connection with certain works by Jacobo della Quercia and, above all, the inspiration in the works of Michelangelo. The influence of the Valladolid focus is also clear in its style, where it has been documented between 1565 and 1570. Compare, for example, with the altarpiece in the church of San Pedro de Zumaia (Pamplona), completed in 1577, the commissions that he made in the Cathedral of Burgos between 1576 and 1578 (Coronation of the Virgin and carving of Mary located on the lectern of the choir), or the main altarpiece of the Parish of Santa María de Tafalla made between 1581 and 1583. He installed his workshop in Pamplona, with numerous commissions and, so appreciated was its style that it would influence works carried out in Aragon throughout the first third of the seventeenth century."

· Size: 16x11x25 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: ZE062
PORCELAIN CENTREPIECE. VOLKSTEDT, RUDOLSTADT, GERMANY. CA END 19TH CEN...

Centerpiece. Volkstedt, Rudolstadt, Germany. Towards the end of the 19th century.
Glazed porcelain.
Centerpiece with a circular base raised on simple legs that shows a delicate composition on several levels. The children are organized thanks to a large stone and a log, one with a purple band stands above, holding flowers; below, there are four others, also half-naked, holding glasses, flowers, etc.
Both the figures and the composition show a clear influence of Neoclassical models. This same relationship explains the theme: it is a series of figures linked to classical mythology, dealing with a friendly and secondary theme (only intuiting a slight relationship with a bacchanal for a glass that is presented), highly appreciated by rich interiors of the time to keep the decorum requested for the moment.
The factory signature is clearly visible at the bottom of the center and in shades of blue, with a signature (Marion) "etched" underneath. The Volkstedt factory, located in Rudolstadt (Thuringia, Germany), was founded by an official request made in 1760 by Georg Heinrich Macheleid, who had worked in the Glücksthal glass factory, and would have achieved the porcelain formula by his own means , without contacts with the Meissen potters Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and Johann Friedrick Böttger. The privilege was granted in 1762 by Johann Friederich (prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt), specifying that it be established at that point, near his court and under his personal direction. After several changes of hands over the years, it is still in force today."

· Size: 33,5x33,5x58 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0144
SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST CHILD ON 17TH CENTURY BASE. IVORY, WOOD. (WITH ...

San Juanito on pedestal from the 17th century. Ivory, wood.
It has a CITES certificate.
Dress size of a male child figure made of ivory in its color, following 17th century models that has been arranged on an elaborate carved, gilded and polychrome wood base from the 17th century. This piece presents an elaborate and moving decoration based on moldings, scrolls, architectural elements, diamonds, etc. of clear classicist memory under the cushion on which the sculpture rests.
The sculpture is standing, taking a step and twisting one of its feet, with a very slight counterpoint. While your left arm is down, with your hand open as if holding something, raise your right in a gesture of blessing, keeping your gaze straight ahead but with a slight bow of the head. Before continuing, it is necessary to remember the iconographic resemblance between the sculptures of the Jesus Children and the Saint John's in Spanish Baroque art that occurs on some occasions, especially in certain clothing works and when iconographic attributes are not available. Compare, also noting the differences, this work with masterpieces such as the Niño Jesús by Juan Martínez Montañés from the Iglesia Sacramental del Sagrario de Sevilla (dated between 1606 and 1607) or the Niño Jesús Blessing by Juan de Mesa found in the Museum of Fine Arts of Córdoba, among others."

· Size: 40x32x88 cms. altura niño 63 cms
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: ZE173
CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI). GILT COPPER, ENAMEL, JET (STONE) EYES, TEXTIL...

Crucified Christ. Gold copper, enamel, jet eyes. Limoges, France, 13th century.
On a wooden and textile support, a gilded copper Crucified Christ has been placed to enhance it, crowned, with his bowed face and open jet eyes, with a long purity cloth and decorated with enamels in blue and white tones, with two nails (one in each hand) and a footrest. The figure draws a smooth curve that adds some movement, maintaining a highly schematic anatomy, as well as the expression of the face.
Compare this piece with others kept in prominent institutions: the one dated around 1220-1230 in the Louvre Museum in Paris (OA 11935), the 13th century with jet eyes in the Cathedral of Besançon (France), several in the Galleria Farnese (Museo di Capodimonte) from Italy, another from the 13th century from the Metropolitan Museum in New York (25,120,441), pieces from the British Museum in London, etc. Although normally these Crucifieds were in a composition with more figures or in some piece (processional cross, casket, etc.), it is more common that only the figure is preserved.
Limoges enamels are known as a series of pieces of metal (copper, silver, gold) with a religious theme decorated with the champlevé enamel technique using a series of colors (blue, green, white ...), inherited or inspired by the works from the Monastery of Silos (Spain), and with a great boom throughout Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries. Production had already declined by 1370, when the sack of Limoges by the English took place. However, towards the end of the 15th century it resurfaced, but already with the technique of "painted enamel" and clearly Renaissance models.
In the present specimen, its state of conservation and dimensions stand out.
"

· Size: Cristo: 17x23 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0360
PAIR OF RELIEFS. POLYCHROMED AND GILT WOOD. CASTILIAN SCHOOL, SPAIN, 1...

Pair of reliefs. Carved, polychrome and gilded wood. Castilian school, 16th century.
Pair of carved and polychrome wooden reliefs with religious figurative scenes located against a landscape background and under two semicircular arches, which present geometric squares with simple moldings in the spandrels. One of the panels shows Christ half-naked, tied to a column with a smooth and tall shaft with a capital (reminiscent of that of the Ionic order), and flanked by two soldiers with armor of influence from Roman Antiquity (one with a three-tailed whip and the other raising a kind of bundle of branches). In the other panel, Jesus is tied up, seated, covered with a golden cloak or mantle, and accompanied by three other soldiers dressed in armor similar to those in the other relief and holding various elements in their hands.
From the postures of the characters and the elements in their hands, it can be said that the first of the panels shows the Flagellation and the second would be a Scorn (or, more specifically, the moment of the Crowning with Thorns). The first relief shows Jesus tied with his arms behind his back and one foot, to a column with a tall, smooth shaft topped with a capital that closely resembles those of the Doric Roman order; the executioners or soldiers that flank him have moved postures, and classic-looking outfits. The other also presents a clear Renaissance influence both in the anatomy of the figures and in certain elements, and in some small details it resembles engravings on the same subject (Hieronymus Wierix, etc.).
It was not until the second third of the 16th century when some sculptors emerged in Spain who reached great heights in the Spanish Renaissance, inspired by Italian forms, but providing their own national touch, creating different schools, and with a clear preference for polychrome wood. and stew. At this time, one of the main workshops was Valladolid, with names like Alonso Berruguete and Juan de Juni. Later, the art evolved towards a classicist or Romanist mannerism, with an important influence of Italian masters, with a clear influence of Michelangelo and names such as Gaspar Becerra, Esteban Jordán, Juan de Ancheta, etc."

· Size: 34,5x5x72,5 cms. / 26x6x72 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE124
VIRGIN WITH CHILD JESUS. POLYCHROMED WOOD. SPAIN, CA. END 15TH CENTURY...

Virgin with Child. Polychrome wood. Spain, towards the end of the 15th century.
Carving made in polychrome wood of the Virgin Mary dressed in a red tunic and with a white cloak covering her hair, shoulders and knees, sitting on a backless throne with simple architectural elements on the sides, and with the Child Jesus also sitting on her knees, with a globe in the left hand and blessing with the right hand. On the back, at the base of the throne, there is a legend with some losses over the years: “De do? Renonbres, Madam / Did a religiosso write / the one from Monsarrate, aurora / because a child took him / to be my entourage "February 2, 1688
The composition of the carving follows a common rule in Spanish sculpture already present in works from the 13th century, as can be seen by comparing the work with a sculpture dated around 1200 from the National Museum of Art of Catalonia, and which continues to be popular in the century XV (compare with the carving of Santa Ana, the Virgin and the Child of the XV century of the Diocesan Museum and Cathedral of Valladolid). However, it should be noted that it is also a popular scheme in the rest of Europe.
Taking into account the inscription on the back (which, given the date, is a later addition), it is necessary to indicate that, although the best known Virgin of Montserrat "La Moreneta" is the patron saint of Catalonia venerated in the Monastery of Monsterrat It is not the only one in the Spanish and South American geography. Compare the carving with the Virgin of Monserrate in Orihuela (the original image disappeared in the Civil War, but after the conflict José María Sánchez Lozano was commissioned to make a new carving, crowned in 1959), whose name was changed from that of the image Catalan by order of Pope Sixtus IV in 1483. This sculpture also reminds of numerous painted images: "Our Lady of Monserrate" from the Santafereña school of the 18th century (Art Collection of the Bank of the Republic of Bogotá, Colombia; inv. AP5203) , "Virgen de Monserrate" by Manuel García from the seventeenth century (Teodoro Vidal Collection; Puerto Rico Museum of Art), painting of the main altar of the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Monserrate in Puerto Rico, etc."

· Size: 44x22x80 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE157
”MADONNA WITH CHILD AND ANGELS”. BRONZE AND LAPIS LAZULI. ITALY, 15TH-...

Relief "Virgin with Child and angels". Italy, XV-XVI centuries.
Bronze in its color and gold, lapis lazuli, rock crystal, enamel.
In the center of the work, the figure of Mary is presented, enthroned, with a cloak on her shoulders and hair and holding the Child on her knees, who appears addressing one of the angels. The Virgin is also sheltered by an ogee arch supported on turned columns, and visually elevated by steps. This composition achieves a very striking contrast: the figure in dark bronze, in contrast to the lapis lazuli background and the part of the arch and the exterior of it, in gilt bronze. Under the steps there is an enamel heraldic shield with a key on an azure background. The kneeling angels are flanking this figure, and, appearing in dark bronze, visually share the “category” of religious figures with Mary, while their (lower) position gives greater status to both the Mother and Jesus. The rest of the composition is completed with a delicate landscape: buildings and walls on mountains, clouds in the sky, plants, stones, etc. Towards the outside, there is another lapis lazuli frame decorated in the corners with appliques, giving way to the carved and polychrome wood.
Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious stone already known in the VII millennium BC. C., found in deposits from the Caucasus to Mauritania. From the end of the Middle Ages, its export to Europe increased, its use being more frequent since then both to use it as a pigment in pictures after grinding it (giving rise to the finest and most expensive of the blues, and of the colors on many occasions ), as well as for painting backgrounds, inlays in works of art, jewelry and, a little later, in the well-known “hard stone works”.
The figure of Mary still shows an influence of Gothic models, although more European than Italian, together with elements that could already show a closeness to the Renaissance: although the nudity of Jesus is already shown in Gothic works (Madonna with Angels by Fra Angelico ), the creation of space by playing with the cloth in front of Christ can be seen in more advanced paintings (Madonna and Child by Domenico Ghirlandaio, National Gallery, London); the presence of a powerful throne can be seen frequently in Italian Madonnas of the Quattrocento (and earlier), but not quite as presented here. As for the landscape, it must be compared, for example, with that of the fresco by Condotiero Guidoriccio de Fogliano (Simone Martini, finished in 1328).
This is a work of great technical and aesthetic quality, not to mention the materials chosen for its creation, comparable only to outstanding examples from around the world, such as those preserved in the Madama Palace in Torino (Italy), in which the coral it also has an important role. It is also essential to mention works such as the hard stone plate (lapis lazuli among them) with a relief of Mary with the Child in bronze, made around 1580-1600 in Italy and preserved in the Art Institute of Chicago; or the “Panorama della Piazza della Signoria” (Jacopo Bilivert, ca. 1599) of the Pitti Museum; or the "Banquet of the Gods", which follows a design by Guglielmo della Porta, preserved in the Metropolitan Museum in New York."

· Size: 20x22,5x3,5
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0123
TANKARD. GILDED SILVER, IVORY. GERMANY, 18TH CENTURY.

Tankard. Silver gilt, ivory. Germany, 18th century.
Cylindrical container with a lid made of ivory carved in its color and gilt silver that has a flat base decorated with plant elements, a "ce" shaped handle decorated with engraved leaves, and a lid (this one with a piece of gilt silver similar to that of the base, and another piece of carved ivory, topped with an acorn of this material). On the front of the tankard, between two bands of garlands of clear classic memory, there is a scene with naked figures (some riding horses) in a fighting attitude.
On the lid, topped with an acorn, there is a figurative carving with various characters on a natural background, with glasses and other containers. This Bacchanal is one of the most common classical scenes at certain moments in Art History, and the aforementioned garlands and the theme of the front respond to this same influence. The Rape of the Sabine Women is a theme from ancient pagan mythology and chosen by masters such as Giambologna or Rubens. The composition in this piece shows movement and a clear study of anatomy (with a marked contrast between the male and female figures), but keeping a certain harmony and maintaining the flat background and "white" spaces between the figures.
Compare, for example, the 17th century ivory and gilt silver tankard from the Emma Budge Collection, or the ivory and gilt silver tankard by Octavian Cocssel (Austria, act. 1691-1716) from the Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery from Ontario presenting the Rape of the Sabine Women, appreciating the differences; and with others from leading institutions and private collections. Weight: 845 gr."

· Size: 17x13x19 cms
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0551
PAIR OF CHILDREN. POLYCHROMED PINE WOOD. 18TH CENTURY.

Children couple. Polychrome pine wood. Century XVIII.
Pair of polychrome pine wood carvings representing two children in an attitude of playing a wind musical instrument, both seated, with their hands towards their faces, and slightly raising one leg to add some movement to a posture that, otherwise , it would perhaps be too static.
Due to their postures and attitudes, they would be part of a large and quality altarpiece, judging by the size, the details, the hair, the proportions, etc., elements in which the musical angels were not something strange. Note that those present do not have wings, calling themselves in these cases "putti" and being, in the same way, figures of habitual presence in religious environments despite having emerged from Renaissance classicism and its sources from Antiquity.
The proportions of the sizes, the anatomy, the symmetry, the certain plasticism of the hair, etc. are elements that speak of an influence of Neoclassicism in these sculptures. Likewise, a certain resemblance to works from the 18th century of the Castilian school can be appreciated."

· Size: 22x42x85 cms / c/peanas 37x37x180 cms
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0594
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PAIR OF POLYCHROMED WOODEN SCULPTURES. “SAINTS APOSTLES JOHN AND PAUL”...

Pair of polychrome wood sculptures. "San Juan and San Pablo". Castilian school, 16th century.
Both male figures have been represented standing, with their main iconographic attributes and dressed in the timeless robes that the time reserved to highlight the sacred people. The youngest has a chalice in his hand, from which comes out a serpent, and an eagle at his feet; the bearded man presents a sword with the hilt visible.
The first is Saint John, with the eagle of the Tetramorph alluding to his Gospel, and the chalice related to the episode of the Golden Legend of Jacobo de la Maelstrom in which he tells that the Emperor Domitian wanted to kill him with a wine with poison, which escaped in the form of a serpent after the evangelist blessed the cup. The second is Saint Paul, with that characteristic aspect that relates him to much earlier early Christian works and to the sword of his martyrdom, which also refers to a text from his Letter to the Ephesians.
Stylistically, both round-shaped devotional carvings show a marked Italian Renaissance influence in cloths, contrapposto, proportions and gestures, distancing the works from the other trend of the time that was closer to Flemish models, who preferred greater drama. The Gothic has been left behind, as evidenced by the naturalness of faces, folds, anatomy and gestures, after much effort. It was necessary first to accustom the clientele to new tastes and for the artists to learn the technical and aesthetic novelties that the arrival of the Renaissance brought, and it developed at different times and at very different levels depending on the region or artist. Compare the works, for example, with the San Juan de Círculo by Juan Rodríguez from the Simón Díaz Foundation (work deposited in the Museum of the Fairs of Medina del Campo, Valladolid)."

· Size: 26x26x76 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z3642
CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI). COPPER, ENAMEL, TEXTILE, WOOD. LIMOGES, FRANC...

Romanesque Christ. Copper, enamels. Limoges, France, 12th-13th centuries.
In a later wooden and textile support, a crucified copper Christ has been placed to highlight it, crowned, with his face up and his jet eyes open, with a long purity cloth (further back) and decorated with enamels in blue tones. , with two nails (one in each hand) and a footrest (with two other nails). The figure maintains a straight posture, and a highly schematized anatomy, as well as the expression of the face.
Although normally these Crucified were in a composition with more figures or in some piece (processional cross, casket, etc.), it is more common that only the figure is preserved. Compare this piece with others preserved in prominent institutions: Christ with a processional cross from around 1190 from the MNAC of Spain, a piece with stones from the 13th century from the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, another dated from the 13th century from The Walters Museum with a similar posture. at present, one at the Chicago Art Institute dated around 1200-1210 (inv. 1943.79), one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the purity cloth in blue tones (inv. 25,120,441), etc.
Limoges enamels are known as a series of pieces of metal (copper, silver, gold) with a religious theme decorated with the champlevé enamel technique using a series of colors (blue, green, white ...), inherited or inspired by the works from the Monastery of Silos (Spain), and with a great boom throughout Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries. Production had already declined by 1370, when the sack of Limoges by the English took place. However, towards the end of the 15th century it resurfaced, but already with the technique of "painted enamel" and clearly Renaissance models."

· Size: 18x2,5x22 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0359
”CHILD PORTRAIT”. MARBLE AND BRONZE. SPAIN, 19TH CENTURY.

"Girl with flowers on a basket". Sculpture in white marble and bronze, on base. Spain, 19th century.
The pedestal, in the shape of a smooth shaft column, elevates the sculpture and highlights it with its elegance of lines and lack of exaggerated decorative elements (apart from some moldings in what would be the capital and the change of veined marble in the upper piece, on which the sculpture is located). The figure of the girl, carved in a high quality white marble, is seated, looking into the distance, and with a bouquet of flowers in her arms and a medal hanging from a cord around her neck. When sitting on a basket with flowers, the figure is softened, in addition to enhancing it with the chromatic contrast between the flowers and the basket (patinated bronze) and the figure. The girl's hairstyle, with pictorial waves without a powerful chiaroscuro, contrasts with the detail of the dress, perfect both in the ruffles at the neck and in the embroidery on the fabric and with which, in addition, an “informal ”By showing a shoulder strap and a wrinkled skirt. This lack of formality fits the theme perfectly, and is slightly accentuated by presenting the figure in socks (or stockings, dropped) and without shoes. The realism of the face (attenuated with a slight idealization) suggests that it is a child portrait.
The pictorial treatment of the figure and the roses is related to artistic approaches that emerged throughout the 19th century and to a certain aesthetic and level of skill. Stylistically, it is possible to relate it to the environment and the influence of two key figures of 19th century Spanish art due to their craftsmanship, features, technical mastery and originality: Agustín Querol and Mariano Benlliure. The quality of the work is undeniable: with a great economy of elements, an elegant figure has been achieved, without losing childish details according to the theme; the qualities can be seen in both bronze and marble; the chromatic combination enhances the figure; the naturalism of the girl's face; the composition of the sculpture; etc. Thus, it is possible to find parallels with outstanding works from the 19th century: note the similarity in the hair with the "Naked Child" by Augstín Querol y Subirats (around 1900, Prado Museum in Madrid), it also recalls in certain details the bust of the 18th Duchess of Alba by Mariano Benlliure (made around 1928)."

· Size: Busto: 50x50x71 cms. Peana: 37x37x116 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z6639
”SAINT BLAISE”. POLYCHROMED AND GILT WOOD. CASTILLIAN SCHOOL, SPAIN, 1...

Sculpture "San Blas". Carved, polychrome and gilded wood. Castilian school, 14th century.
The figure stands, looking straight ahead with large, expressive eyes, a slight smile on his face, blessing with his right hand raised and holding an item in his left hand (probably a bishop's staff). He is presented dressed in an alb and chasuble, a garment decorated with golden stripes resembling gold embroidery and under which the stole seems to appear; the bishop's miter on the head also presents a series of decorations in slight relief resembling cabochons and golden stripes.
Although it is not presented accompanied by many iconographic attributes, it is possible to relate this carving to Saint Blas, a physician and bishop of Sebaste (Armenia) executed at the beginning of the 4th century and known for his gift of miraculous healing, which he applied to people and animals. Normally, he is represented accompanied by a pig, with two crossed candles (his festival is celebrated after Candlemas), a horn, a carding rake (he was tortured with this element) and bishop's clothes. Its history and veneration were very popular from the High Middle Ages, first in the East and then also in the Western Christian world.
The expression of the saint and the expressiveness of the same place the carving within the Gothic, already concerned with showing a certain movement and some closeness in the figures, introducing the feeling in the faces. The folds are now less geometric than in the Romanesque, looking for some anatomy but still without showing it or letting it glimpse how it will be done when the Renaissance influence arrives. The use of gold in decoration is also common in the Castilian school of the time, and it will continue for quite some time. Also characteristic are the rigidity of the figure, which distances it from those examples more related to France, and the lack of delicacy in the folds, which do present works from the Flemish school.
These types of carvings are kept in certain churches and in certain private collections. Likewise, some museums have managed to collect works similar to this Saint: the Lázaro Galdiano Museum in Madrid, the N. de Catalunya Art Museum in Barcelona, the Navarra Museum in Pamplona, the Madrid Archaeological Museum, etc."

· Size: 30x16x106 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z6749
”VIRGIN WITH CHILD ON THE THRONE”. BOXWOOD, BRONZE AND ROCK CRYSTAL. 1...

Virgin with Child enthroned. Boxwood, bronze and carved rock crystal. XIX century.
On an upholstered base, another second base has been placed in bronze, the metal in which the throne is made. It stands on four low columns with smooth shafts with capitals decorated with scrolls and simplified vegetal forms, decorative elements that are repeated at the waist, combined with oval blue beads; the back, square and openwork with highly schematic scrolls, is topped by four carved rock crystal pearls. The Virgin Mary is seated on it, with a crown that repeats the decorative elements of the throne, dressed in a tunic and cloak and with a book in her hand. The Child Jesus, on his lap, also directs his gaze forward, while blessing with his right hand.
The iconography comes, as usual, from Byzantine models: among the Theotokos types, the Panakranta or Panacranta is in which Mary appears seated on a throne, with the Child on her lap and both facing the viewer, showing what was agreed upon. at the IV Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon (451 AD). These were arriving in Europe already in the Romanesque, developing the iconography of the West. This work can be compared with the Italo-Byzantine icon from the thirteenth century preserved in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC (United States), or the carving of the "Virgin of the Battles" of the Monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza, made around 1225-1235, and preserved in the Museum of Burgos, or the Romanesque of the mid-seventeenth century today in the Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires (Argentina), although there are a large number of examples.
However, details such as the decoration of the capitals, the anatomy shown by the two figures, the scrolls of the throne and the crown, the folds of the cloths, a certain air in the faces despite their schematization, the symmetry present in various points of the work, etc., show the belonging of the carving to a date closer to the present day. Specifically, the style known as Neo-Gothic: it was inspired by works from the 13th to 15th-16th centuries and was opposed to the preceding Neoclassical; It was born in England around the middle of the 18th century, and spread across continental Europe in the 19th century."

· Size: 10x10x24 cms
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z6707
”SAINT DOMINIC DE GUZMÁN AND SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI”. POLYCHROMED TER...

"Meeting of Santo Domingo and San Francisco". Sculpture in polychrome terracotta. Colonial school, 17th century.
Figure made in polychrome terracotta with golden details that represents two male characters on a simple pedestal. The one on the left appears wearing a Franciscan habit (and a small red mark on his right hand) and he embraces fraternally, and on equal terms, with the one on the right, with a dark cloak (decorated with fine golden lines creating a net) over white habit decorated with abundant flowers and golden elements, and a star in slight relief on the forehead. It is about San Francisco de Asís, with the stigma on his hand, and Santo Domingo de Guzmán, both with their respective habits.
It is narrated, with a notable economy of elements (which shows the quality of the work), the so-called "Brotherly Encounter of Santo Domingo and San Francisco", also called "Embrace of Peace" or, more colloquially and in some circles, " The Bump ”. According to tradition, Saint Dominic had a vision in which Mary implored Jesus for Men, pointing to both of them as servants of God; the next day, Santo Domingo met with San Francisco in the church of Rome, recognizing him as his companion and hugging and kissing.
The present piece still shows Baroque influence, but it already points to a certain neoclassical influence in some details, maintaining the particularities of its school. Compare, for example, the "Embrace" of the Monastery of Santo Tomás de Ávila by Luis Salvador Carmona, dated in the 18th century. Likewise, it is necessary to highlight the quality of the modeling and the polychromy of the piece, with a remarkable state of conservation for the antiquity and delicacy of the material of the figure."

· Size: 14x16x26 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE161
”RESSURRECTION”. POLYCHROMED WOOD. SPANISH SCHOOL, 16TH CENTURY.

Resurrection of Christ. Carved and polychrome wood. Spanish school, 16th century.
On one side of the piece there is a relief with the theme of the Resurrection of Christ: Jesus, dressed in the golden shroud, appears in the middle of a beam of light and clouds, standing over the tomb and raising an arm while holding with the other hand a rod finished in a cross and a flag waving in the wind; At the bottom there are four soldiers, in different postures and attitudes. The other side shows a chalice with a Sacred Form (in which appears a Crucified one flanked by the Virgin and Saint John in grisaille), raised by two angels; all the elements are placed on a golden background, in a space surrounded by clouds; on one side there is a piece of wood in which, originally, a bolt would go, and on the other there are remains of two hinges. It is this element that makes us think that the relief was surely a door of the Sagrario.
The piece follows a customary decoration in the Renaissance and Baroque Tabernacles. Compare, for example, with the one from the 17th century on the main altar in the church of the Monastery of Santa Isabel in Madrid, or with others kept in private collections. The scene of the Resurrection recalls in details such as the variety of postures of the soldiers, the anatomy of Christ, the movement of the shroud around his body, etc. to outstanding pieces such as the 16th century relief in Renaissance style from the Museum of the Monastery of the Cistercian Abbey of Cañas in La Rioja. Although they are parts of an altar with a varied theme, Salvation is always insisted upon, as they are destined to contain the Sacred Form."

· Size: 32x5x52 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0280
CRUCIFIED CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI). COPPER, ENAMEL, WOOD. LIMOGES, FRAN...

Christ on cross. Copper, enamel, wood. Limoges, France, 12th-13th centuries.
Latin cross in carved wood on which a figure of the Crucified Christ in copper has been placed, decorated with colored enamels and which still maintains some of the original gilding of the metal. Crowned, Jesus is presented with four nails, highly schematic anatomy, open eyes and crown on the head slightly inclined to the right, purity cloth on the knees in front and longer in the back (with enamels in green and light blue), with a support for the feet.
Limoges enamels are known as a series of pieces of metal (copper, silver, gold) with a religious theme decorated with the champlevé enamel technique using a series of colors (blue, green, white ...), inherited or inspired by the works from the Monastery of Silos (Spain), and with a great boom throughout Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries. Production had already declined by 1370, when the sack of Limoges by the English took place. However, towards the end of the 15th century it resurfaced, but already with the technique of "painted enamel" and clearly Renaissance models. The quantity of conserved pieces has allowed a series of more or less detailed studies, immediately perceiving the existence of a series of "prototypes" or "models" that would be repeated with slight variations for quite some time both in the figures and in chests, staffs, etc.; Likewise, it is necessary to emphasize the variety of objects made in Limoges with the typical decoration of colored enamels and gold-plated metal, preserved in some of the main private collections and in prominent museums around the world.
Compare this piece, for example, with the processional cross with Christ in the Diocesan Museum of Lleida dated in the 13th century, with a Christ in the Saint-Jean de Besançon Cathedral (France), with one in the Louvre Museum in Paris dated between around 1220 and 1230 (with which it shows striking differences), several from the Galleria Farnese (Museo di Capodimonte) in Italy, another from the 13th century from the Metropolitan Museum in New York (25,120,441), pieces from the British Museum in London, etc. . Although normally these Crucifieds were in a composition with more figures or in some piece (processional cross, casket, etc.), it is more common that only the figure is preserved, varying greatly from one piece to another depending on the circumstances of it, the care that has been taken, etc."

· Size: Cristo 12,5x2x17 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0372
CRUCIFIED CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI). COPPER, ENAMEL, JET (STONE). LIMOGE...

Crucified Christ. Copper, enamels, jet (eyes). Limoges, France, 12th-13th centuries.
Metal figure of Christ crucified with four nails, short purity cloth decorated in all blue enamels, simplified anatomy, open eyes (with jets) and open crown; Surrounding the feet of the figure appears a widening that would serve as "support" to the Christ, since these figures were made to place them on a cross (either this other piece of enamels, a decoration on some miniature manuscript covers or a casket, etc., which was the usual thing in Limoges, although it is more normal that only the figure of Jesus has been preserved). The enamels have a clear predominance of blue tones, as is usual in the works of the center and of the time, although the white strip of the "perizonium" stands out above all. Preserves traces of gilding on the metal.
Limoges enamels are known as a series of pieces of metal (copper, silver, gold) with a religious theme decorated with the champlevé enamel technique using a series of colors (blue, green, white ...), inherited or inspired by the works from the Monastery of Silos (Spain), and with a great boom throughout Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries. Production had already declined by 1370, when the sack of Limoges by the English took place. However, towards the end of the 15th century it resurfaced, but already with the technique of "painted enamel" and clearly Renaissance models. The quantity of conserved pieces has allowed a series of more or less detailed studies, immediately perceiving the existence of a series of "prototypes" or "models" that would be repeated with slight variations for quite some time both in the figures and in chests, staffs, etc.; Likewise, it is necessary to emphasize the variety of objects made in Limoges with the typical decoration of colored enamels and gold-plated metal, preserved in some of the main private collections and in prominent museums around the world.
Compare this piece, for example, with several specimens from the Galleria Farnese (Museo di Capodimonte, Italy), a 13th-century Christ from the Metropolitan Museum in New York (25,120,441); some from the British Museum in London; one with jet eyes that has been dated to the thirteenth century and is in the Cathedral of Besançon (France) with a crown very similar to the one in the present piece; the figure of the cross from the Salisbury Museum; etc. Likewise, it should be noted that these figures were made to be placed on processional crosses, covers of miniature manuscripts, caskets, etc., and that, frequently, only the Christ has been preserved."

· Size: 14,5x2,5x18 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0379