Pair Of Carved And Gilded Wood Eagles from the mid-1800s, pair of carved and gilded wooden raptors representing a fascinating example of 19th-century Italian craftsmanship. The Italian sculptures, hand-made with great detailed carving, display finely carved plumage and gold leaf gilding that, although showing minimal signs of time and wear, still retains a good condition.
The yellow Sienese earth for the upper finish instead of the gilding denounces that the two gilded figures were originally terminal decorative elements of a piece of furniture. The spread-wing pose of the eagles suggests a sense of movement and vitality, evoking their majestic nature and the symbolism of freedom and strength of this pair of animalier figures. They rested on a small balustrade, an ebonized base. We have made a wooden cube measuring 12 x 12 x 12 cm as stable pedestal, listed height refers to the total sculputure, base included. In the back of the two animal figures, two postern supports facilitated their anchorage. Coming from a private collection, these works also tell a story of mid-nineteenth-century Italian tradition and craftsmanship.