19th C./Early 20th C. Italian Alabaster and Marble Saint Cecilia Catacombs Souvenier

Details

Description

ABOUT

A 19th c. hand-carved Italian alabaster miniature sculpture on marble base depicts the martyrdom of Saint Cecilia, modeled directly … Read more ABOUT

A 19th c. hand-carved Italian alabaster miniature sculpture on marble base depicts the martyrdom of Saint Cecilia, modeled directly after the famous 1600 Baroque masterpiece by Stefano Maderno located in Rome. The front of the stepped base is incised with the text: "Ricordo Catacombe S. Callisto" (Memory/Souvenier of the Catacombs of St. Callistus).
This piece was acquired as a Grand Tour or pilgrimage token from the famous Catacombs of Saint Callixtus (Catacombe di San Callisto) in Rome, Italy, where Saint Cecilia's tomb was originally discovered.

Shown with life size hand model.

CREATOR Unknown. Rome, Italy.
DATE OF MANUFACTURE Late 19th-early 20th century.;
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Hand carved Alabaster, Marble.
CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use.

DIMENSIONS H 2 in. W 4 in. D 2 in.

HISTORY

The souvenir trade in Rome during the 19th and early 20th centuries was a booming commercial industry driven by The Grand Tour, a traditional rite of passage for wealthy European and American elites.

As transportation advanced in the 19th century, travel to Italy expanded beyond the ultra-wealthy to a rising middle class of global tourists. Visitors flocked to major historic landmarks, local churches, and underground ruins like the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus. This surge in visitors created an immense market for physical mementos to prove one's worldly travels, taste, and education.

To feed this demand, a massive network of dedicated craft workshops opened across Florence, Rome, and Naples. Local stone cutters, sculptors, and mosaicists specialized in turning out high-quality, scaled-down replicas of classical antiquities and Renaissance masterpieces. Materials were specifically chosen to look premium while remaining small enough for tourists to easily pack into luggage trunks. See less