All over Rome one sees the ancient obelisks from Egypt, brought as spoils of the early expansion of the Roman Empire over 2000 years ago, and the repetition of that ancient form here, in Italian marble and by 19th century Italian artisans, is a Grand Tour souvenir that must have thrilled early travelers as much as these do us today. The rare form makes a fabulous grouping, desktop, as you know. These are rather rare, most having given over to the damage inherent in long thin slabs of stone, but a few survive. This is one of 2 we have available, and the second will also be listed for sale separately. This one is complete, relatively unscathed by time. It is an 1840-60 marvel of stonecrafter's ability to turn stone to flowers and leaves. The perfect piece of graded coloration marble would be chosen and cut specifically to replecate the shades one sees in a leaf, a petal, and placed, polished by hand. An arduous task, and yet the resulting works are stunning for the effort. This one retains its functioning thermometer, and has very little loss at all. Photos tell all!
