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Ivory carving depicting St. Sebastian, Italy, mid-17th century

Total height x width x depth: 21 x 10 x 4.8 cm. Height x width sculpture: 15 x 4.5 cm. Total weight: 188 g
The saint is depicted with extraordinary anatomical attention: the muscles are rendered with softness and naturalism, while the slender and elegant posture follows a typically Baroque twist. He is depicted nude, following the classic iconography, except for a cloth that encircles his hips, and is tied to a Simeto amber tree trunk, an element that enhances the contrast with the whiteness of the ivory.
The figure rests on a wooden temple-like architectural base painted in polychrome, embellished with mother-of-pearl inserts and an eight-pointed cross, probably a symbol of the Order of Malta, perhaps a devotional or heraldic reference.
The work is distinguished by the refinement of the materials used and the compositional balance between the drama of the martyr figure and the preciousness of the architectural base.
The meticulous carving of ivory, the use of amber as a natural and symbolic element, and the refinement of the marble and mother-of-pearl structure suggest a cultured clientele and a devotional or collectors' destination.
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. 2025-102)
26/01/2026 21:44:58
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€ 8.000,00 / 10.000,00
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4.400,00 €
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Live auction 369

SILVER ANTIQUES, IVORIES, WUNDERKAMMER - Including selected Works of Art from the Count Luigi Rigi Luperti Collection

Palazzo Caetani Lovatelli, thu 19 February 2026
SINGLE SESSION 19/02/2026 Hours 15:00
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