South German – c 1500
NAUTICAL GRIFFIN, c 1500
Bronze
H 14 x W 13.5 x D 10 cm
H 5 1/2 x W 5 1/3 x D 4 inch
H 5 1/2 x W 5 1/3 x D 4 inch
The bronze is conceived as a compact yet vigorous ‘griffin’, combining aquiline and leonine elements within a tightly coiled, marine silhouette. The creature is shown upright, its chest thrust forward...
The bronze is conceived as a compact yet vigorous ‘griffin’, combining aquiline and leonine elements within a tightly coiled, marine silhouette. The creature is shown upright, its chest thrust forward and its head looking sharply forward, the beak agape in a cry or snarl. The upper mandible is strongly hooked, with a pronounced curve and defined nostrils; the open beak reveals a deeply hollowed interior.