187

Ivory plaque, Italy, late 17th - early 18th

Height x width frames: 13 x 10.8 cm. Height x width ivory: 9.3 x 7.2 cm. Total weight: 94.7 g
Antique elephant ivory plaque (Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 or Loxodonta africana Blumenbach, 1797) depicting a male bust in relief within ebony frame (Diospyros spp).
The figurewith very pronounced features: an aquiline nose, a pronounced chin and a stern expression, wears an embroidered mozzetta and a simple cap on his head.
The iconography most likely corresponds to Pope Innocent X Pamphilj, pontiff from 1644 to 1655, known for his characteristic profile, which also became famous through the portrait painted by Velázquez.
The plaque is 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 rendering of the busts testify to a cultured and refined taste linked to the rediscovery of humanism and antiquity.
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. 2025-234)
Provenance:
Count Luigi Rigi Luperti collection.
27/01/2026 00:55:30
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€ 800,00 / 1.000,00
Estimate
550,00 €
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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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