Tazza Neo Renaissance Cups in Gilt Bronze, 1850, Set of 2

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Description

Very nice pair of Renaissance style tazza cups in richly chiseled gilt bronze.
This pair of cups comes from a … Read more Very nice pair of Renaissance style tazza cups in richly chiseled gilt bronze.
This pair of cups comes from a French private collection. They are products of the second half of the 19th century, at a time when the history of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance were very fashionable, so they are neo-renaissance. It is very likely that a workshop reproduces a series of cups either from an original model of this period, or only inspired by the cups used in the Renaissance. The term tazza, which means cup, refers to the cups that were used for the consumption of drinks. These are obviously purely decorative and were intended to be exhibited in collections. The inside of one of the 2 cups is decorated with ancient masks, cherubs and four Greco-Roman deities. The reverse of the cup is decorated with four mascarons in a vegetal decoration of acanthus leaves and interlacing. On the central part of the foot a node on which is engraved three divinities alternated by heads of rams. On the piedouche, three lions' heads overlook reclining deities. The second cup has a different decor: in the hollow of the cup, the scene represents a helmeted figure who seems to be Athena standing next to a group of musicians in the background a very beautiful decor of ancient buildings very finely made.
Very fine work, finely chiseled with a beautiful patina from the Renaissance period.
Probably Italy, 19th century. See less