Italian
16th century
Bronze with green patina
Height 12.2" (31 cm)
Provenance: London trade
This large bronze head of Silenus was cast as a water fountain spout, the open mouth designed to emit a stream of water in the manner common to Italian Renaissance garden and courtyard fountains. Silenus, the rustic deity of wine-making and forest revelry and foster father of Dionysus, was a popular subject for fountain spouts throughout the 16th century, his expressive, grotesque features lending themselves to the dramatic scale and visual impact required of such objects. This example is cast with considerable energy, the deeply furrowed brow, wild hair, and bared teeth giving the face an animated, almost theatrical presence at its substantial size.
The bronze has developed a rich green and brown patina consistent with age and outdoor exposure, the surface texture adding to the tactile complexity of the casting. The modeling of the facial features is accomplished, with the hair and beard rendered in crisp, curling locks that frame the broad, expressive face. The piece comes from the London trade and would serve equally as a garden fountain element or as a freestanding sculptural object on a mount.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Italian
16th century
Bronze with green patina
Height 12.2" (31 cm)
Provenance: London trade
This large bronze head of Silenus was cast as a water fountain spout, the open mouth designed to emit a stream of water in the manner common to Italian Renaissance garden and courtyard fountains. Silenus, the rustic deity of wine-making and forest revelry and foster father of Dionysus, was a popular subject for fountain spouts throughout the 16th century, his expressive, grotesque features lending themselves to the dramatic scale and visual impact required of such objects. This example is cast with considerable energy, the deeply furrowed brow, wild hair, and bared teeth giving the face an animated, almost theatrical presence at its substantial size.
The bronze has developed a rich green and brown patina consistent with age and outdoor exposure, the surface texture adding to the tactile complexity of the casting. The modeling of the facial features is accomplished, with the hair and beard rendered in crisp, curling locks that frame the broad, expressive face. The piece comes from the London trade and would serve equally as a garden fountain element or as a freestanding sculptural object on a mount.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
