Italian school, follower of Flaminio Vacca (1538-1605): A pair of Medici lions, gilt bronze, 19th C.

 H 15,5 - L 19 - D 8,5 cm

The Medici lions are a pair of marble sculptures of lions, one of which is Roman, dating to the 2nd C., and the other a 16th-C. pendant. By 1598 both were placed at the Villa Medici (Rome). Since 1789 they have been displayed at the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. The sculptures depict standing male lions with a sphere or ball under one paw, looking to the side. Copies of the Medici lions have been made in a variety of media; Medici lion has become the term for the type (link).