Sculptural Group in Nove di Bassano Faience
Faience group from Nove di Bassano depicting a female centaur held captive by three men, the ensemble resting on a circular base adorned with bas-relief sculpture. It represents a mythological scene featuring Hylonome, pursued by the Lapiths. This tale, recounted notably by Ovid in his Metamorphoses (Book XII), evokes the unconditional love between the two centaurs Cyllarus and Hylonome. During the Centauromachy, Cyllarus is killed, and Hylonome, unable to live without him, takes her own life. Hylonome is one of the rare female figures belonging to the centaur race in Greek mythology.
This three-dimensional sculptural group is strongly inspired by a marble composition by Francesco Bertos (1693–1734). It was produced by the Nove manufactory, near Bassano, founded in 1752 by Pasquale Antonibon, who already owned a flourishing faience manufactory.
Incised mark: “Nove*”.
Second half of the 18th century.
Dimensions:
Height: 49 cm
Width: 30 cm
