Garden Antiques > Statues
Exceptional pair of neoclassical sphinxes in Carrare marble (Reference 9091)
Get the Flash Player to see this video Exceptional pair of white Carrara marble Sphinxes on rectangular bases. A very noble female bust combined with the powerful body of a lioness, recumbent with her tail lying flat on her back.
The sphinxes wear “nemes”, the most emblematic headdress of pharaohs in ancient Egypt: a striped cloth covering the crown of the head, the nape of the neck with two large flaps hanging behind the ears and in front of both shoulders. Their hair is adorned with ribbons and pulled back up into a bun; on their foreheads rests a diadem. They also wear an embroidered breastplate upon their backs, shoulders and torsos ending with a pompom that rests on the base between their front paws. The front paws extend beyond the base giving greater amplitude to the statues.
This pair comes from the Chateau de Chatelliers, replica of the Massa Hotel in Paris, property of business magnate and art collector Maurice Fenaille.
Origin
Circa 1870
Dimensions
| Width | Height | Depth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1' 10'' ½ 57cm |
2' 10'' ¼ 87cm |
5' 1'' ¾ 157cm |
Additional information
Carved circa 1870, these sphinxes bring back to life the monumental ornamental garden sculpture of Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV. The inspiration for these sculptures is a model of sphinx created for the chateau of Versailles in the 1660’s. They are marked by the quiet grandeur of classical statuary.
Related work:
Pair of marble sphinxes sculpted by Lerambert between 1667 and 1668, ridden by bronze cupids set in the Parterre du Midi in the gardens of the Versailles Chateau.
Pair of marble sphinxes standing on either side of the architectural folly of the Count d’Artois in Bagatelle, near Paris from the 18th century.
Pair of sphinxes in the Marais chateau, carved in the 18th century.
Condition
Excellent condition, very light crack apparent in the stone. A few spots of rust which can easily be removed on request.