16h century Griffin Head - Italy

Marble lion white marble France, probably Périgord, 17th century Small marble lion wearing a coat of arms pendant with the engraved date, ...

Cerberus Black painted stone Italy, 17th century Measures: 80 x 69 x 36cm (one head missing) Cerberus, cruel monster, fierce and strange, Through his wide threefold throat barks as a dog Over the multitude immers'd beneath. His eyes glare crimson, black his unctuous beard, His belly large, and claw'd the hands, with which He tears the spirits, flays them, and their limbs Piecemeal disparts (Dante, Inferno, Canto VI). Cerberus figure seated, in his role of ferocious guardian of the underworld; he shows a nervous musculature, an adherent skin which reveals the ribs, long and robust limbs; his heads are broad and the eyes set well apart. Painted in black to amplify his menacing look, the infernal guardian is depicted with his famous attributes, writhing his heads, growling and barking furiously. Cerberus, in Greek mythology, was the monstrous watchdog of the underworld – also known as the “hound of Hades” – preventing the dead from leaving, and making sure that those who entered never left. A child of Typhon and Echidna, he was part of a monstrous family, which included Orthus, the Lernaean Hydra, and the Chimaera as well. Only on three occasions Cerberus was tricked by visitors of Hades: Heracles did it with his strength, Orpheus with his music. In "The Inferno", Dante places Cerberus as the guardian of the third circle of Hell. With his three mouths, Dante saw Cerberus as a beast that was synonymous with the sin of Gluttony. Virgil gets past the monster by throwing mud in his three mouths, temporarily choking him. Very rare are the representations of Cerberus in ancient statuary...

Renaissance Harpy bronze Italy, 16th century 15 x 12 x 5,5 cm This expressive bronze figure represents a harpy, a mythological creature with the body of a bird and the head and tor...

Marble Helmet
 France, 17th century
 Marble
 25 × 27 × 18 cm This finely carved marble helmet, adorned with a grotesque mask, exemplifies the 17th-century fascination with antique-i...

This striking decorative lion head in terracotta is a captivating piece that adds a bold statement to any decor. Crafted with intricate detail and mounted on a sturdy base, this piec...

An antique carved sandstone head of a lion, mounted to a custom steel display stand. This interesting looking lion dates back hundreds of years to the Stuart period in the 1600s - a ...

This French terracotta lion's mask was originally an element of a 19th century fountain with water jetting from its mouth. This garden piece is now mounted on a custom iron, making i...

Stunning, solid white, Carrara marble lions head from a fountain in Florence featuring a flowing main and a fabulous patina. Mounted on a custom, iron base. The piece hails from the ...