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Description

A late 19th-century Italian “Grand Tour” souvenir sculpture finely carved from rich green serpentine marble, depicting “Il Porcellino” — the famous Florentine wild boar of the Uffizi.

This well-executed, larger-scale reduction is modelled after the lost ancient Hellenistic original, known through the celebrated bronze version by Pietro Tacca (1577–1640) and the Roman marble copy housed in the Uffizi Museum, Florence. The subject derives from the Calydonian Boar of Greek mythology, symbolising strength and vitality.

The sculpture captures the creature’s dynamic realism with remarkable skill — its bristling fur, tense musculature, and ferocious expression rendered in fine detail. The boar is shown with open jaws and prominent tusks, seated on a naturalistically carved, canted plinth base. The polished green serpentine surface gives a lifelike sheen reminiscent of the original bronze fountain, whose snout was traditionally rubbed for luck by visitors.

A classic example of Grand Tour craftsmanship— elegant, scholarly, and evocative of Italy’s artistic heritage.
In excellent condition, showing only a minor historic chip to the rear corner of the base.

Dimensions:
Height: 14cm
Width: 8cm
Length : 14.5cm
Italy, circa 1870.