LATE VILLANOVAN AND ETRUSCAN BRONZE BASIN WITH FIGURAL LEGS

Ca. 700 - 650 BC. A large hammered bronze basin with a deep hemispherical body, rounded base and a broad, plain rim. The vessel is supported on six tall, slender bronze legs, each surmounted by a riveted attachment plate with a pointed terminal securing it to the lower body. The supports are cast in openwork, each depicting a stylised horse and rider in profile, with the horse standing on a horizontal bar and its elongated neck extending forward to a raised head with pointed ears. The riders have slender torsos, their heads surmounted by conical helmets, with their arms extended towards the horses' necks. The animals have arched backs, angular legs and long, curving tails. Beneath each horse, an openwork panel encloses a stylised bird with a sinuous neck and curved body, framed by sweeping bronze scrolls. The vertical supports continue below the figural panels to broad, flattened feet with outward-curving terminals. For similar see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Object Number: 54.11.1, 2021.40.39. Size: 520mm x 340mm; Weight: 5.6kg Provenance: Private London collection; Joseph J. Klejman collection, USA, 1980s-1990s. UK art gallery, 1990s This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.

Estimate:$6,697.61

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