Lot number 3404 - Auction 155
'DIE AKROBATEN' (FIGÜRLICHE ÖLLAMPE)

SEVERO CALZETTA DA RAVENNA c. 1465 Ravenna - c. 1543 ibid 'THE ACROBATS' (FIGURATIVE OIL LAMP) Padua, 16th/17th century (presumably workshop 'Acrobata') Bronze, dark natural patina, wax melting points on the feet. H. 14, W. 9.5, D. 11.5 cm, weight approx. 0.75 kg. Unusual figurative oil lamp from the circle of the so-called "acrobats," one of the most curious and rarest types of bronze created in the foundries of Padua. The depiction shows an acrobatic figure in a dramatic, humorous pose, whose body serves as a holder for the oil vessel. Such objects are associated with the Renaissance, when ancient models were revived not only in large-scale sculpture but also in everyday objects, often with playful and ironic exaggeration. Earlier research linked the model to the circle of Andrea Briosco, known as Riccio (1470-1532); today, the type is generally attributed to Severo da Ravenna or his workshop. Comparable examples can be found in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello (Florence), the Bode Museum (Berlin), and the Museo Correr (Venice), among others. Partially preserved, loss of patina, old restoration on the back. Literature: See Planiscig, Riccio, Vienna, 1927, figs. 200-203; Mariacher: Venezianische Bronzen der Renaissance, Vicenza, 1971, no. 79. Provenance: International private collection.