Pair Of Wall Consoles With Female Figures – Italy, Late 17th And Early 18th Century

An interesting and rare pair of Baroque wall consoles in carved, gilded and blackened wood, depicting two female caryatids in high relief, each supporting a scrolled tablet. Each of these figures, delicately and finely carved, presents a nude bust extending into an ornamental shaft combining foliage, scrolls and volutes, in an aesthetic strongly inspired by late Mannerist art and the Italian Baroque. The stylized volute arms evoke Ionic capitals, in a clever fusion of human figure and architectural ornament. A precious particularity: the two figures are not identical but perfectly complementary. One delicately turns its head to the right, the other to the left - they look at each other. This subtle visual dialogue confirms that this is indeed a pair conceived together from the outset, and not a duplication, and testifies to the care taken by the sculptor in the overall composition. The consoles have a dynamic and theatrical structure, typical of late 17th-century Italian productions, probably from a Venetian or Lombard workshop. Their initial function was probably to accommodate candelabra, busts or devotional objects in an aristocratic or ecclesiastical setting. The reverse of the caryatids shows beautiful natural oxidation, as well as nicks and traces of period mounting. The gilding has a very aesthetic network of cracks and visible old wear, particularly on the faces, arms, edges and base. Some chips are to be noted, but the general patina is coherent, homogeneous, not excessively retouched. The upper shelves, of a scalloped shape, are painted in black, probably in original polychromy or slightly retouched. Dimensions: Height: 54 cm Shelf width: 32 cm Depth: 17 cm Condition: original gilding with partially worn leaf, wear from use and small discreet retouches. Very beautiful old patina.