ROMAN BRONZE ARTIST, XVII-XVIII CENTURY, Reclining lion cub

Gilded mercury bronze. The tail features some defects. 8 x 17 x 6 cm

The fine lion cub shown herein features some really refined chiseling and a wonderful gold-coating.
The mane, snout and paws have been polished to perfection in the refining process.

This item can be compared to Roman manufacts of the XVII century, particularly the remarkable “Calvario”, made of ebony, bronze and gemstones preserved in the Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia, Rome.
The “Calvario” is a type of ebony structure depicting the Crucifix and all the biblical figures related to it in bronze. The aforementioned Roman specimen was attributed to Jacob Cornelisz Cobaert (Flanders 1535-Rome 1615) and to Bernini’s workshop. Said statue features a multitude of bronze saints and angels, all gilded. The whole sculpture is held up by laying bronze lion cubs very similar to our specimen.

Thanks to this comparison, we may cautiously assign our item to said school.

Comparative bibliography:

P. Cannata, Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia, sculture in bronzo, Roma 2011, pp. 142-154 e tav. 170