Last week at the flea market I bought this statue which shows a young lady about to distribute wreaths. It is 69 cm high, weights 18,3 Kilograms and is made out of Alabaster and another material (Marble?). I suppose it was created in France or Italy in the early 19th century. The seller could tell me nothing more about it than that the had bought it at an auction in Paris some decades ago. Even though it is slightly damaged, I like it´s classical style and wonder if the lady (probably not meant to be Nike / Victoria, as she has no wings) is about to distribute the wreaths to the winners of some (greek?) games or if she might instead be a personification of something else. Are there any experts here who can help me with the attribution? Feel free to post statues or coins with Victories and the like...
Thank you guys! I found this on a german site: "The history of the myrtle wreath dates back to ancient times. The myrtle was sacred to the Romans of the goddess Venus, in the Greek mythology of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Therefore the branches of myrtle are a symbol of love beyond death, but also for virginity, vitality and many healthy children. A bride was already decorated with a myrtle wreath in ancient Greece and Rome . In the sixteenth century, this custom was also introduced in Germany and was even further developed. From the bride's myrtle wreath, after the wedding, a branch was rooted in the earth. The evergreen plant should symbolize lasting happiness." This is a symbolism even my girlfriend likes
That is super sweet. I would have bought that in a second. I wonder how old it is and where it was made.
It looks like a laurel crown to me. A google image search did not find one like yours, but some with similar outline. One of my favorite Victory crowning .... C.METELLVS Cr 269/1
It took me a little longer because it was neither lightweight nor cheap . Me, too! After two nights of research in the net I still haven´t found anything like it. Here she is in sunlight...
That’s cool. Closest I have is this antique lamp I got at the thrift store. Sorry for the crappy pic.
