A pair of gilt-bronze slaves, model by Pietro Tacca

A pair of gilt-bronze slaves fire dogs, after a model by Pietro Tacca, in 17th century taste. Mid 19th century circa 1850. Pair of chained Moorish andirons in shaded gilded bronze, sculpted and chiseled after the model of Pietro Tacca (1577-1640), sculptor of the Medici family. Each of the chained Barbary pirates rests on an important plinth with leafy windings decorated with the fleur-de-lis of the Medici. sculptures in the round of high quality of execution made on the model of the I quattro mori incatenati present on the basis of the Monument of Ferdinand I of Medici in Livorno, work of one of the most remarkable Florentine artists of the first half of the 17th century, Pietro Tacca (1577-1640) sculptor of the Medici family. The two imprisoned Saracen pirates are shown seated, covered only with a simple drape with deep folds cleverly placed on the hips. Their body adopts a strong contortion marked by their head turned directly above the shoulder, their bust thrown forward, their arms tied behind their backs and their legs bent whose feet remain suspended. This position while tension is firmly underlined by the position of the arms retained in the back. The protruding and powerful musculature of these chained men is accentuated by the effort they make to try to get rid of their ties. The origin of this extreme contortion is invisible to the spectator who guesses the attempt that these men make to free themselves. The drama of the scene can also be seen on the features of their face, tense and tense accompanying the effort provided by the arms. Each one appears under different ethnic traits, one with full lips and frizzy hair refers to Black Africa; the other, with almond eyes and a tuft of hair on the crown of his head, to the east. We find in these works all the power of mannerism then at its full apogee, however attenuated by a certain touch of realism. These statuettes are reductions of the four Moors of the Monument dei quattro Mori erected to the glory of Ferdinand I de Medici and celebrating the victories of the Order of the Knights of Santo Stefano in Livorno against the Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean. From 1595, the Grand Duke commissioned the sculptor Giovanni Bandini (Florence, 1640 - 1699) to create a monument to the glory of his Mediterranean fleets for Piazza della Darsena. At its top, a full-length statue of Ferdinand I presents him in uniform carrying the staff of command, the laurel wreath and bearing the cross of the Knights of the Order of San Stefano, an institution founded by his father Como I to fight against the Ottomans and the pirates of the Mediterranean. It should be noted that the irons are lacking as well as some wrinkles of time such as oxidation due to the heat of the hearth. We can see on a photo of the Camondo hotel in 1876, a pair of identical andirons.

Dimensions: Height 53cm - Width 31.7cm - Depth 30.2cm.