Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Carved Pedestal

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Italian Renaissance Revival carved pedestal executed in walnut circa 1870, the circular top above a carved figural standard depicts a … Read more Italian Renaissance Revival carved pedestal executed in walnut circa 1870, the circular top above a carved figural standard depicts a Manticore or winged lion, features a human face, horns, shield with circular banded coat of arms, and rear quarters of a scorpion, stands on a circular plinth resting upon a graduated base. Weight: Approx. 35 pounds. Overall measures: 15 Diameter x 47 Height inches.

Note(s): THE MANTIKHORAS (Manticore) was a man-eating, Persian monster with the body of a lion, the face of a man, and a spike-tipped, arrow-shooting tail. The name Manticore was derived from the Persian word for "man-eater." (Theoi)

The Manticore also occurs in Medieval bestiaries inspired by the works of ancient Greek and Roman writers as noted below:

"Aethiopia (Ethiopia) produces . . . many monstrosities: . . . Ctesias writes that in the same country is born the creature that he calls the Mantichora (Manticore), which has a triple row of teeth meeting like the teeth of a comb, the face and ears of a human being, grey eyes, a blood-red colour, a lion's body, inflicting stings with its tail in the manner of a scorpion, with a voice like the sound of a pan-pipe blended with a trumpet, of great speed, with a special appetite for human flesh." [N.B. "Aethiopia" refers to all southern lands including both Africa and India.]. (Pliny the Elder, Natural History 8. 75 (trans. Rackham) (Roman encyclopedia C1st A.D.)

"Juba states that in Aethiopia (Ethiopia) the Mantichora (Manticore) also mimics human speech." (Pliny, Natural History 8. 45)

Winged cats are a common motif in several mythologies, but most simply do not assign names to them. Usually, winged cats also have some extra set of features, like seen in this sculpture; e.g. human face, horns, etc. See less