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A pair elephant ivory plaques, Italy, late 17th - early 18th

Weight I: 125 g. Weight II: 116 g

Antique pair of carved elephant ivory plaques (Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 or Loxodonta africana Blumenbach, 1797) depicting a male bust in relief accompanied by identifying inscriptions on the front and biographical notes on the back, within frames painted in imitation tortoiseshell.

The first plaque depicts a man with a long flowing beard identified by the inscription at the top CARLVS SIGONIVS, corresponding to the Modena historian and humanist Carlo Sigonio who lived in the 16th century; on the reverse side there is an inscription in English which, although not entirely legible, reads approximately “A learned Italian was one of the fine classical antiquarius of his time died A D 1585”, referring to the scholar's fame and his death in that year.

The second plaque shows the bust of a man wearing a hat with the name ANGELO DI COSTANZO, which can be traced back to the Neapolitan poet and man of letters Angelo di Costanzo. on the reverse side there is a note in English, but it is corrupted and seems to refer to his Neapolitan origins and his longevity, stating ‘Lml of Cantalupo born at Naples of which place he unto the city died aged 83 A D 1590’. Lml is probably an abbreviation or a misreading and could indicate Ludovico. The date 1590 is probably an error, as he died in 1591 at the age of about 83.

The two plaques together form part of a series of portraits of illustrious men of the Italian Renaissance, probably intended for antique collectors and scholars. The preciousness of the ivory and the painted tortoiseshell frames testify to a cultured and refined taste linked to the rediscovery of humanism and antiquity.

Height x diameter frames: 14.5 x 12 cm

Height x diameter ivory I: 10.8 x 7.8 cm

Height x diameter ivory II: 11 x 7.5 cm

This lot, accompanied by a CITES certificate and expertise issued by Ce.S.Ar Centro studi archeometici, is only available for sale with shipments within the European Union. (expertise Ce.S.Ar. 2025-222)

Provenance:
Count Luigi Rigi Luperti collection.