Amazingly beautiful bronze figurines were created by the Italian sculptor Severo Calzetta da Ravenna. These works were made in the 16th century, the master himself is recognized as one of the most outstanding sculptors of the High Renaissance and Mannerism. The artist specialized in mythical images, making figurines of characters from ancient legends: satyrs, gods, dragons. Among these items there are quite functional products: inkwells, candlesticks, oil lamps.
The composition below depicts a satyr woman with a child holding a bird in her right hand. Both mythical characters stand on a round stand with legs. Next to the satyrs lies an ink-shell, and the vase in the satyr's hand serves as a candlestick. The work was made in the 1520s. in the workshop of an Italian sculptor.
Another inkwell is decorated with a figurine of the ancient Greek titan Atlas holding the firmament on his shoulders. In accordance with the most common version of the legend, after the victory over the titans, Zeus entrusted Atlas with the task of supporting the firmament of heaven, which only he could do. It is possible that an oil lamp in the shape of a ball was once located above the kneeling male figure, but it has not survived.
The next figurine depicts the Old Testament character Tobias from the deuterocanonical book of Tobit. According to legend, the angel Raphael walked with Tobiah, who helped him cure his father, Tobit, from the blindness. The composition is incomplete, since at least the dog that accompanied Tobias to the river is missing. In addition, behind the back of the figurine there should be a stick with a hanging fish.
The last statuette is dedicated to the tragic event - the suicide of Cleopatra. The queen of Egypt died at the age of 39 after the Roman troops defeated her army. According to popular belief, Cleopatra died from a cobra bite. Here the queen holds a snake biting her in her left hand, agony is reflected on her face.
In the workshop of Severo Calzetta da Ravenna, many sculptural masterpieces were born, however, in the second half of the 16th century, the quality of the products began to decline. The works shown in this publication are stored in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
