Large Bronze Statue of a French Allegory of Minerva with a Cast Reverse Shell of a Libertas Americana Medal on a Marble and Gilt Base.
7.5 inches x 11.5 inches, bronze statue alone; 10.5 inches x 22 inches, including base. A visually impressive piece, the bronze allegory of Minerva sits upon a ball with nicely engraved armor and a flowing cape. In her right hand she holds a serpent wrapped staff with several fleur-de-lis on the arms, her left arm rests on a shield, the center of which has a gilt, cast shell of the reverse of a Libertas Americana medal. Her face is expressive and on her head she wears a finely engraved helmet with flowing feather crest. At the bottom of the bronze is a nearly 1 inch bar that goes into the marble base to hold it secure. The marble base is of a two-piece construction, a simple tiered base of concentric circles, and an ornate pedestal, finely decorated with patterned gilt rings at the top and bottom. Further adornment consists of a very fine gilt garland of fruit, leaves and bows going all the way around. At the top, a tiny shallow .5 inch chip is present that does not impact the aesthetic in the slightest, but is mentioned solely for accuracy. Unsigned so far as we can tell, our consignor purchased this for roughly $10,000 from Berger Pere & Fils, an antiquities dealer in France who described it as "French Allegory of Minerva brown patina group circa 1783-1785". In our opinion the whole of the object looks more mid 19th century in appearance, though it is quite impressive regardless.
From the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation.

Estimate: $10000