"A Pair Yellow Marble Of Verona Recumbent Lions, North Italy, 16th-17th Century"
DescriptionTwo sculptures depicting crouching lions. On the lions' backs, there are holes from which columns once rose. This type of sculpture, typical of medieval architecture, is known as a "stilophorous lion" and was used in the porticos and pulpits of early Christian and Romanesque churches to support columns. It also carried a spiritual message of protection. In medieval bestiaries, the lion was seen as a guardian because it was believed to sleep with its eyes open, making it an apotropaic figure against evil.
Dimensions
HxLxD 13,58in x 22,44in x 8,07in
Provenience
Private collection
Condition
Shortages and defects. Breakages. Restorations.
Le Magazine de PROANTIC
TRÉSORS Magazine
Rivista Artiquariato