Bengal Tiger Licking Its Paw by Giacomo Merculiano (1859 – after 1935)

In this remarkable bronze sculpture, Giacomo Merculiano invites us into a moment of profound stillness and primal grace. Bengal Tiger Licking Its Paw is not a theatrical display of strength, nor a romanticized vision of the exotic. It is something quieter and deeper: a meditation on instinct, intimacy, and form. Measuring 56 cm high, 58 cm wide, and 45 cm deep, the sculpture commands presence while preserving a remarkable intimacy. The tiger, caught mid-gesture, curls in upon itself, its muscular frame coiled in a living spiral. One paw raised, one lowered, it licks its fur with deliberate calm. The rendering is sensitive yet powerful—its surface alive with tactile energy, the anatomy exquisitely balanced between realism and impressionistic texture. Every angle offers a new rhythm of volume and shadow. The sculpture’s reddish-brown patina enriches the interplay of light, enhancing the naturalistic yet expressive modelling. This work was cast using the lost-wax technique by the famed Parisian foundry Le Blanc-Barbedienne et Fils, whose signature is stamped alongside Merculiano’s. That alone marks the sculpture as a piece of the highest calibre. Possibly a unique cast, this work fuses Italian sensitivity with French foundry excellence. In this Bengal tiger, Merculiano achieves a rare balance: naturalism without spectacle, tension without violence, poetry without narrative. A sculpture that does not roar, but resonates—in bronze, silence, and form.