A Firedog in the form of Sphinx thumbnail 1
A Firedog in the form of Sphinx thumbnail 2
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A Firedog in the form of Sphinx

Statuette
ca. 1530-1550 (made)
Artist/Maker
Riccio, Andrea (Andrea Briosco) (sculptor)
Place of origin
Padua (made)

This sphinx (one of a pair) is made after the four spinxes which are part of the Pascal Candlestick by Riccio in the church of St. Antony (Il Santo) at Padua in the second quarter of the 16th century. It could possibly be by Desiderio da Firenze.
There is a coat of arms imprinted of the Sambonifacio family, who were porminent in Padua in the 16th century.

Perhaps for a fire-dog.
Four similar sphinxes form the bases of the


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Myths & Legends
Household Objects
Object type
Statuette
TitleA Firedog in the form of Sphinx (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Statuette (one of a pair), A Firedog in the form of Sphinx, Bronze, after Andrea Riccio (1470-1532) possibly by Desiderio da Firenze (active 1532-1545), Italy (Padua), ca. 1530-1550
Physical description
The sphinx is fantastically formed with a female head and beasts separated by spreading acanthus leaves, and a single lion leg. The cirved supports at the back are in the shape of profile masks terminating in foliage. The hair is elaborately dressed with beads and festoons. The tips of the wings are curved in a volute. Round the neck is suspended a small oval medallion with a shield. The base is decorated with masks and garlands, and rests on four lion feet.
Dimensions
  • Width: 17cm
  • Depth: 26cm
  • Height: 48.5cm
Dimensions were taken by SCP on 27.10.14 for Bronze Zoo: A Sculptural Menagerie
Marks and inscriptions
There is a coat of arms imprinted of the Sambonifacio family (on the medallion)
Credit line
Salting bequest
Object history
From the Salting bequest.
Production
possibly by Desiderio da Firenze
Summary
This sphinx (one of a pair) is made after the four spinxes which are part of the Pascal Candlestick by Riccio in the church of St. Antony (Il Santo) at Padua in the second quarter of the 16th century. It could possibly be by Desiderio da Firenze.
There is a coat of arms imprinted of the Sambonifacio family, who were porminent in Padua in the 16th century.

Perhaps for a fire-dog.
Four similar sphinxes form the bases of the
Associated object
A.89-1910 (Set)
Bibliographic references
  • Radcliffe, Anthony. 'The debasement of images: the sculptor Andrea Riccio and the applied arts in Padua in the sixteenth century' In: Currie, Stuart and Motture, Peta, eds. The Sculpted Object 1400-1700 (Association of Art Historians' conference papers 1995), Aldershot, 1997, p. 89, fig 5.4
  • Motture, Peta. "None but the fiest thing": George Salting as a Collector of Bronzes, in: The Sculpture Journal, 2001, p. 49, n. 69 om p. 59
  • 'Salting Bequest (A. 70 to A. 1029-1910) / Murray Bequest (A. 1030 to A. 1096-1910)'. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum (Department of Architecture and Sculpture). London: Printed under the Authority of his Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, East Harding Street, EC, p. 4
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.90-1910

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O311626/a-firedog-in-the-form-statuette-riccio-andrea-andrea/
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