Dreams Less Sweet Antiques

Description

Large late 18th - early 19th Century Italian Verona marble religious relief sculpture of St Michael (Archangel) slaying Lucifer.

Finely sculpted rectangular thick marble plate. Rosso di Verona marble.

St Michael is depicted as a winged Angel wearing armour, holding a thrusting sword and standing on the demonic Lucifer, also with wings, below.

Large scale and impressive sculptural piece.

Possibly once part of a church display.

Displays well floor standing leaning against a wall, but would look best wall mounted or on a strong shelf.

Good period condition. No losses or repairs.

H: 83cm x W: 57cm - 6.3cm Deep.

Heavy - Approx 90kg.

In art and sculpture, St Michael is often represented as an angelic warrior, fully armed with helmet, sword, and shield. The shield may bear the Latin inscription Quis ut Deus or the Greek inscription Christos Dikaios Krites or its initials. He may be standing over a serpent, a dragon, or the defeated figure of Satan, whom he sometimes pierces with a lance. The iconography of Michael slaying a serpent goes back to the early fourth century, when Emperor Constantine defeated Licinius at the Battle of Adrianople in AD 324, not far from the Michaelion, a church dedicated to Archangel Michael.

Constantine felt that Licinius was an agent of Satan and associated him with the serpent described in the Book of Revelation (12:9). After the victory, Constantine commissioned a depiction of himself and his sons slaying Licinius represented as a serpent a symbolism borrowed from the Christian teachings on the Archangel to whom he attributed the victory. A similar painting, this time with the Archangel Michael himself slaying a serpent, then became a major art piece at the Michaelion and eventually lead to the standard iconography of the Archangel Michael as a warrior saint.

Free collection possible from London SE18.

Shipping with van courier - UK mainland: £50 - £100 depending on distance from London. Van courier shipping also possible to central EU - est £300. Please message to check a quote. Crated freight shipping also possible on request to USA or Rest of World.