Renaissance Fontainebleau Marble Plaque with Psyche Revived by Eros's Kiss

Vibrant red carnelian intaglio skilfully carved with a bust of a mature man in three-quarter view, gazing right, wearing a wide-collared, buttoned tunic and a cap, long curly hair framing his bearded face with a deeply furrowed forehead; set in a gold frame with an amphora-like looped handle; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 11.72 grams, 33 mm



Acquired on the European art market.

Edward Burch (1730–1814) was a distinguished English gem engraver and miniaturist, celebrated for his intricate craftsmanship and artistic versatility. A founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768, Burch gained acclaim for his engraved gemstones, which often depicted classical and mythological themes, reflecting the neoclassical style of the Georgian era. His skill in miniature painting further demonstrated his artistic range and mastery of detail. Highly respected in his time, Burch’s works remain admired for their technical precision and elegance, preserving his legacy as a key figure in 18th-century British art. Inigo Jones (1573–1652) was a pioneering English architect who is widely regarded as the first significant figure to introduce the principles of Renaissance architecture to England. Influenced by his studies in Italy and the works of Andrea Palladio, Jones designed elegant structures characterised by classical symmetry, proportion, and restraint. His most famous works include the Banqueting House at Whitehall, the Queen’s House in Greenwich, and contributions to the layout of Covent Garden. Jones’s adoption of Palladian ideals marked a departure from the Gothic style that had dominated English architecture, laying the foundation for subsequent developments in the Classical tradition.

Modelled in a half-seated pose, gazing upwards with compact body, broad forequarters, the mane rendered in long, parallel strands; the tail emerging from underneath the body and resting diagonally on top of the neck. 855 grams, 96 mm



Acquired on the European art market.

The treatment reflects the continuation of late Gothic conventions within German workshops, while also aligning with the more classicising tendencies found in North Italian bronze production of the period. The anatomical structure is simplified yet purposeful, characteristic of functional or cabinet bronzes produced across central Europe in the sixteenth century. Its scale and form correspond to small bronzes intended for Kunstkammer settings or as elements within larger composite objects such as inkstands or caskets, where the lion served as an emblem of vigilance, authority, and learned taste.

With a slender hoop, an ellipsoid bezel with an intaglio horse motif. 2.57 grams, 23.58 mm overall, 19.03 x 20.10 mm internal diameter (approximate size British R 1/2, USA 8 3/4, Europe 19.38, Japan 18)



Ex property of a south London collector; acquired before 1980. Private collection, Suffolk, UK.