Pair of 19th Century Greek Porphyry Obelisks

Pair of obelisks in green Greek porphyry.
Green Greek porphyry, noir fin marble and rosso antico.
Rome.
Early 19th century.
h. 20,4 in. ; w. 4.3 in. x d. 4.3 in.

Pair of obelisks in cut blocks of green porphyry from Greece, fine black marble from Belgium and rosso antico marble.

The virtuosity of Roman workshops in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries is responsible for these Grand Tour objects, which the European elite brought back from Italy not only as souvenirs of their travels, but also to make their homes more antique, as seen in the study of such an illustrious prince as Klemens Wenzel von Metternich.

Pair of green Greek porphyry obelisks in a single block, resting on silver trapezophores and a base of cut blocks of fine black Belgian marble and rosso antico marble.