Willows Antiques & Interiors

Description

A fine large 19th century bronze of Hermes.
Foundry: Ferdinand Barbedienne.

The bronze is of excellent original patina and quality.

The bronze Seated Hermes, found at the villa of Papyri in Herculaneum in 1758, is at the national Archaeological Museum of Naples.

Ferdinand Barbedienne born in 1810 was a French metalworker and manufacturer, who was well known as a bronze founder.

In 1838 he went into partnership with Achille Collas, who had just invented a machine to create miniature bronze replicas of statues.

Together they started a business selling miniatures of antique statues from museums all over Europe.