Stilophorous sea lion in peperino stone, 11th-12th century.

Stilophorous element that most likely depicts a sea lion taken from medieval bestiaries. It is a sculpture in stone worked in the round making up the base of an internal pulpit of an ancient proto-Romanesque cathedral. In fact, it is thought to be a sculpture dating back to the dawn of the early Middle Ages, between the year 1000 and the beginning of the 13th century. The stylization of the features of this fantastic animal is characterized by an accentuated simplification of the masses and anatomically is much less defined than examples of stilophorous lions from the full Romanesque period of the 13th century, which were widespread throughout Italy. Given this stylistic hypothesis, we perceive tendencies towards sculptures of barbaric or Nordic culture, therefore it cannot be excluded that it may be a piece even earlier than the year 1000 executed by workers of late-Lombard or Byzantine culture in central Italy. In fact, the type of stone seems to be gray peperino, a stone that is abundant in the Tuscia area, between Lazio and Tuscany. It is known that most Italian basilicas have had numerous construction phases and could therefore belong to a primitive internal pulpit built around the year 1000, a period characterized by numerous cultural and artistic influences in Europe and Italy. The hypothesis that the animal is a sea lion can be advanced because of the strange engraved fins present under the animal's paws, both posterior and fragmentary in the anterior ones. Measurements: Approximately 65 cm long x 35 cm wide x 30 cm high. We attach a certificate of authenticity issued by our antique gallery to the sale. Upon request, we can provide documentation for the free movement of goods, if there is any interest from a customer who lives outside of Italy. Discover our proposals for ancient art on www.antichitabompadre.com