JUPITER AND ANTIOPE" GILDED BRONZE SHUTTLE BOWL WITH PATINA, 19TH CENTURY

Bronze navette bowl with two brown and gold patinas, depicting a nude nymph sleeping on the lid and a satyr on the handle. This may represent the myth of Jupiter and Antiope. The front of the shuttle is decorated with a winged chimera with the face of a woman and the body of a snake. The sides are decorated with reliefs depicting reclining nude women surrounded by putti. The whole rests on a pedestal adorned with a feather frieze.

This is a 19th-century work.

This work takes up a well-known iconography from the history of art, which has been used in painting since the 17th century. The myth of Antiope recounts that she was so beautiful that Jupiter took the form of a satyr to surprise her in her sleep. This mythological scene is actually a pretext for evoking eroticism. The satyr suggests the theme of the voyeur who takes advantage of the young woman's nudity, but also reminds us that we ourselves enjoy her beauty.

19th century

Circa: 1850

Dim: W:32cm, D:22cm, H:31cm.

Condition report: in good condition. light wear to gilding.