Large Griffin Relief, Italy 12th century

The 12th century Italian version of the proverbial ‘A pain in the ass’: a griffin being bitten in his noble parts by another mythical animal. Hilarious and stylized at the same time. The mythical griffin and its iconography spread through the trade of Persian (the notorious ‘simurgh’), byzantine and middle eastern ceramics, textile, silver plates or other objects and became quickly popular in the whole mediterranean area. Early medieval art thankfully took it over and often used it to adorn the façade of houses and churches. This particular griffin has its tail ending in a special threefold tip, related to early floral motifs from e.g. the Sassanides. Its tongue is curled backwards over its upper lip. Accompanied by an authentication by Mr. Benoît Bertrand from Paris, expert for medieval art and member of the ‘Syndicat Français des Experts Professionnels’.
Pinkish-red (Verona?) marble. No cracks or restorations. Fragment. Shiny patination with warm glow. Serious size.
A stone capital with a very similar scene can be found in the Liebieghaus Museum (Frankfurt) under inventory number 286-287: it shows a feline biting the tail of a griffin. The capital is dated 1125-1150 and comes from Italy (Emilia).
Dimensions (without stand): 90x52x10cm. Weight: approx. 85 kg. With stand: 140x90x60cm.