Grand Tour Serpentine Sculpture Of The Hound Or Dog Of Alcibiades, Ca.1840

After the antique, probably based on models in the Vatican's Pio Clementino Museum, and possibly after Florentine sculptor Giuseppe Becucci, this fine Grand Tour sculpture of the Hound of Alcibiades is carved in Serpentine and beautifully presented on a deep, layered Sienna (Giallo Siena) and Verde Antico or Verde Alpi marble stand.

Measurements (including marble stand):
Height: 36.5 cm (14.4 in)
Length: 27.5 cm (10.8 in)
Width: 18.4 cm (7.2 in)
Weight: 12.8 kg (28.2 lb)

Condition: Excellent. No damage. Light wear.

Notes: The Hound of Alcibiades, also known as the Molossian Hound, "Jennings Dog", or “The Duncombe Dog”, is a classical sculpture of an ancient Greek hunting dog associated with the Athenian statesman Alcibiades (c. 450–404 BCE). In antiquity, the Molossian breed from Epirus, an extinct ancestor of the modern mastiff, was highly valued for its exceptional strength, loyalty, and hunting ability. The alternative name "Jennings Dog" comes from Henry Constantine Jennings, an 18th-century collector who acquired a famous Roman marble copy of the statue in 1750. In 1778, Jennings was forced to sell the sculpture to settle his gambling debts, and Charles Duncombe purchased it. For the next 150 years, the marble dog stood guard at the entrance of Duncombe Park, the Duncombe family's ancestral home. The ancient Roman sculpture known as the Hound of Alcibiades is a rare surviving Roman copy of a Hellenistic animal sculpture. It is currently on permanent display at the British Museum (Museum number 2001,1010.1). During the 18th and 19th centuries, replicas of this sculpture became highly sought-after souvenirs for wealthy Europeans on the Grand Tour, serving as symbols of classical sophistication and refined taste.