Italian Grand Tour Silver Giambologna Mercury Figure

Italian grand tour-era silver figure of Mercury after Giambologna, ca 1820. Mercury holds a heralds staff in one hand and a torch in the other, and balances on one foot resting on a cone set in the mouth of Zephyrus, whose puffed-out cheeks testify to the breathless effort necessary to keep the winged god airborne. A tabletop version of the Mannerist sculpture admired by connoisseurs first as a fountain ornament and later as a must-see museum exhibit at the Uffizi until its transfer to the Bargello. Neoclassical pedestal with applied ram heads and garlands; raised base with leaf-and-dart rim. Marked. Very good condition. Overall dimensions: H 17 x W 6 1/2 x D 5 3/4 in. Wood-weighted. Gross weight: 38 troy ounces. #CC356

Estimate:£7,171.92

View all items fromNelson & Nelson AntiquesorSculptures