Cupid with a Dog

Luigi Saulini

1860–70 · Shell, gold · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Luigi Saulini was a hardstone carver of great dexterity. He more frequently produced cameos of shell, for which he charged a tenth the price. Much of his output was based on statuary by his contemporaries. The model here was an as yet unidentified marble group in the round (indicated by the plinth at the bottom). The bracelet, together with another displaying a micromosaic circlet of Italian peasant girls, was bequeathed by a colorful Irishwoman, Maria Morgan, whose knowledge of horses led King Victor Emmanuel of Italy to entrust her with his stables. According to her, the bracelets were the king’s parting gift before she left for the United States, where she became a newspaper reporter on equine matters, eventually retiring to Staten Island.

Artist

Luigi Saulini

Date

1860–70

Medium

Shell, gold

Culture

Italian, Rome

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Bequest of Maria Morgan, 1892