A north Italian bronze model of a dragon, probably Florentine or Venetian

A north Italian bronze model of a dragon, probably Florentine or Venetian, later 17th century, the head twisting to dexter with jaws agape, the tail coiling down behind, on a later, square section white marble plinth, with dove grey marble socle

18cm high, 22cm wide

CATALOGUE NOTES:

Whilst seemingly unusual as subject matter, models of dragons were not uncommonly cast in 17th century Italy because of their occurrence in Classical mythology. For example Gianfrancesco Susini (1585 - circa 1653) created models in bronze of the famed dragon Ladon after a model by Pietro Tacca (1577 - 1640), Ladon having featured in the eleventh Labour of Hercules as guardian of the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides

Cf. Sotheby's New York, Important Old Master Paintings and Sculpture, Property from the Abbott Guggenheim Collection, 27th January 2011, lot 427

Far more similar to the current example is a 17th century Italian fragmentary bronze dragon, offered at Sotheby's London, A Venetian Legacy - An Italian Private Collection, 5th December 2017, lot 540

Condition Report: The bronze has a patina varying from black to dark brown at more exposed areas.

The bronze was clearly cast to be a mount for another, larger object, and was obviously intended to have other parts. There are two flat patches where wings were intended to rise from behind the shoulders, and there are further cast flat truncations where the front legs were intended to be.

The marble base is later.

Otherwise though, and apart from the usual very minor knocks and scuffs overall consistent with age, the bronze is in good shape.