Decorative ornament - Europe

Heavy-cast yellow-copper or brass cherub/torso shaft with Janus head – 17th/18th-century style Intriguing and solidly executed antique yellow-copper/brass sculpture fragment weighing 591 g, originally crafted as the central spindle piece of a large altar candlestick, arm candle-holder, or Orthodox church crown. The object is rendered in the rich formal language of 17th-century Mannerism and early Baroque, and its powerful plasticity, thick-walled casting, and aged patina make it a beautiful cabinet-piece in its own right. Iconography and Form The statue is double-sided (Janus-headed), so it could be admired from every angle in a freestanding display: The head: Both sides show an expressive, stylized face with large almond-shaped eyes, curled locks, and a characteristic hanging mustache. A profiled cylindrical pedestal rests on the head. Two different front sides: The torso is asymmetrical and decorates differently on each side. One side has the character of a classic Hermes or Caryatid, with boldly curling shoulder volutes and a corsage with checkered shading. The other side displays a curved chest with an engraved Byzantine/Serbian fire-cross (tetragrammaton or ocilo: a cross flanked by four crescent moons/fire symbols), indicating a provenance from Orthodox church art of Southeast Europe / the Balkans (influence of the Habsburg and Byzantine realms). Twisted shaft: Under the pleated belt and the scaly skirt (lambrekijn) the underside transitions into two interwoven, spirally twisted snake legs (torse) that terminate at the bottom in volutes on a cylindrical collar. Technique and Construction The piece is handcrafted and thick-walled cast in a two-part sand mold (the fine vertical seam is still nicely visible on the flanks) and after casting was cold-worked (ciselé, with burin and file). The ends along the top and bottom show authentic concentric turning marks from an early lathe. Throughout its length runs a straight, hollow bore (about 8–9 mm in diameter) through which the forged iron core rod (thorn) of the candlestick or crown originally passed. Thanks to this continuous opening, the piece is very easy — without drilling or gluing — to mount on a pin stand or on a wooden or natural stone pedestal. Specifications & Condition Material: Thick-walled cast yellow copper/brass with a beautiful warm aged patina and traces of copper green in the deeper parts. Dating: Late 17th to 18th/early 19th century (traditionally cast in a 17th-century early-Baroque model). Origin: Central/South-Eastern Europe (Balkan/Danube region). Height: approx. 27 cm. Diameter of mounting surfaces: approx. 2.2 cm (inner bore diameter approx. 8–9 mm). Weight: 591 g. Condition: Very good, authentic and unrestored condition with attractive age- and use-related signs (including light wear from the original iron thorn along the edges).

Estimation:€200

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