Rare Grand Tour Pair of the Trophies of Marius

Probably one of the rarest Grand Tour items you will ever see. A pair of 18th Century, or earlier, patinated bronze models of The Trophies of Marius which stand either side of the statues of Castor and Pollux on the balustrade of Piazza del Campidoglio at the top of the Cordonata Staircase on the Capitoline Hill in Rome. They are attributed to Gaius Marius, a Roman General and seven times Consul of the Roman Republic. Originally housed in the Nymphaeum of Alexander Severus the statues were moved to the Piazza del Campidoglio in 1590 by Pope Sixtus V. Interestingly this pair of models includes the helmets on the top, as featured in drawings and prints of the 15th Century and now missing from the statues. Patinated bronze on alabaster and marmo rosso bases. Rome, 18th century.

H 16cm x W 5.75 x D 3.5cm

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