Italy, Florence, attributed to Soldani (1656-1740), The Wives of the Twelve Caesars, 8 uniface bronze medals (from the set of 12), comprising Pompeia, wife of Julius Caesar, Livia, wife of Augustus, Agrippina, wife of Tiberius, Statilia Messalina, wife of Nero (all facing right), and Lepida, wife of Galba, Albia Terentia, wife of Otho, Petronia, wife of Vitellius, and Domitia, wife of Domitia (all facing left), about 85mm, extremely fine contemporary casts, with uniform green patinas and lacquered (8) A near complete set of the emperors and their wives was in the Charles Avery collection sold in these rooms, 11 June 2008, lot 515 and published in his article “Soldani’s mythological bronzes and his British clientele”, Sculpture Journal XIV, 2005. Most of the examples in that set had 18th century paper labels glued to their reverses inscribed in ink “Soldani fe”. This and additional documentary evidence led Avery to attribute these medals to Soldani.

Estimate: GBP 1000-1500