Pair of Grand Tour Marble Obelisks, Mid 19th c.

Pair of tall Grand Tour marble obelisks, each of verde antico and Sienna marble.

Verde antico marble (antique green or Greek antique green) was first quarried in ancient Greece and later prized throughout the Roman Empire. Most notably, verde antico is the dominant marble used in the Hagia Sofia, built in the 6th century and where 48 columns adorn the interior, including eight massive columns with 28-foot shafts that support the nave. The quarries were abandoned after the fall of Rome and remained lost for centuries. They were rediscovered in the 19th century and production resumed, doubtless when the stone for these obelisks was quarried.[1]

Sienna marble, famous for its golden honey color, has been quarried in Tuscany since at least the 16th century. Collectors of Grand Tour objets d'art are well familiar with the countless finely carved souvenirs in this elegant stone: miniature ruins, tombs, Roman baths etc. Sienna marble was also commonly used in pedestals and plinths, often in combination with patinated bronze, for urns, vases etc. Here we see it as an accent stone in this stately pair of obelisks.

[1] Monica T. Price, "The Sourcebook of Decorative Stone, an Illustrated Identification Guide" (Buffalo, New York: Firefly Books, Inc, 2007), 186.