17th Italian Pair Of Medici Vases In Carrara Marble

A pair of Medici vases in white Carrara marble, 17th-century Italian manufacture.
The Medici vase is a monumental marble krater, sculpted in Athens by a Neo-Attic workshop around the middle of the 1st century BC as a garden ornament. It was part of the antiquities collection of the Villa Medici in Rome, whose inventories begin in 1598, but its origins are unknown. In 1780, it was moved to the Uffizi Gallery, where it is still on display today. The vase was widely admired and began to be reproduced in various materials between the 17th and 18th centuries to adorn the gardens of important residences, not only in Italy.
This pair of vases comes from an important historic residence near Carrara, Tuscany. They are crafted in the typical rib-shaped vase, popular in the 17th century. They were entirely handcrafted, sculpting a block of marble to the desired shape. While the exterior walls were smoothed with special powders, the interior of the vases still shows the chisel carving. The vases, as was always the case, adorned the lemon house in a park: they therefore show signs of wear typical of exposure to the elements, but their charm and value lies precisely in this beautiful original patina. Their compact size makes them perfect for interior decoration.

Dimensions
H 40 cm
Opening 32 cm
Base 20 x 20 cm