Large Allegorical Sculpture in Terracotta

This imposing and rare 19th-century terracotta sculpture depicts a majestic allegorical female figure. Wearing a crenellated crown symbolising moral powers and the city, she is clad in a toga with flowing, generous drapery. The figure holds firmly in her right hand a large lictor’s fasces surmounted by an axe – a republican symbol of authority, unity and justice – whilst her left arm is drawn back, indicating an attribute that is now missing (probably a set of scales, a sword or a tablet of the law). The nobility of her head posture, the expressive treatment of the terracotta and its natural patina lend this piece a spectacular presence, making it ideal for lovers of sculptural art, historical iconography and characterful antiquities.