16th Venetian Small Marble Guardian Lions

Rare pair of small marble guardian lions, 16th century Venetian workshop.

The lion, which has always been an animal rich in numerous meanings and symbols, takes on an unusual form in Venice: in the lagoon city, without buildings equipped with entrance gates on which to mount powerful guardian lions, pairs of small lions were created to be placed on window sills, guarding the homes. These lions could be made of various materials depending on the social position occupied by the owner of the house, the marble lions were, obviously, the most valuable ones. This tradition was maintained in Venice until the 18th century but few examples survived bad weather, theft or accidental falls. Our lions still belong to sixteenth-century production, their features with slightly pronounced manes are more reminiscent of medieval stilophorous lions rather than the powerful animals of the Baroque era. The state of conservation, considering the age, is very good: both show signs of aging due to external exposure. One of the two, the lion on the left, has a barely visible crack on his back and a glued left front paw, probably the after-effects of an ancient fall.
The lions are accompanied by our document of expertise as expert antique dealers.

Measures
H 16 cm
W 9.5 cm
D 6.5 cm