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Ivory sculpture, Central-Southern Europe, 17th-18th century

Height x diameter: 23.5 x 5.2 cm. Height x width x depth ivory: 15 x 6 x 3 cm. Total weight: 217.5 g
Antique elephant ivory carving (Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 or Loxodonta africana Blumenbach, 1797) finely sculpted in the round to depict a standing male figure, resting on a cylindrical wooden base painted to resemble marble.
The man, bearded and with wavy hair gathered at the back, wears a long robe with ample drapery that falls in regular folds to his feet, revealing his sandals. In his left hand he holds a closed book, while his right hand is raised in an oratorical gesture, as if to emphasise his words or teaching.
He could represent St. Paul, even though the sword, symbol of his martyrdom, is missing; St. Peter, whose beard is long but whose keys, his main attribute, are missing; a prophet from the Old Testament, often depicted with a scroll or book in an attitude of proclamation or writing; or an evangelist from the New Testament who appears with a book but usually with his own symbol, which is absent here.
The use of a painted wooden cylindrical base is quite common in German and Austrian productions, which favoured sober but functional solutions for display in collections and Wunderkammern.
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. 2025-220)
Provenance:
Count Luigi Rigi Luperti collection.
26/01/2026 23:19:01
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€ 3.500,00 / 5.000,00
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2.200,00 €
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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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