Sardinian bronze figurine.

View attachment 178215 Ok so Its been in The family for some time and it's from The Island sardinia italy.
Is It authentic and how old could it be?

 

It is a Sardinian souvenir inspired by the Bronze Age Nuraghe culture.

 

How do you know it's a souvenir?

 

These are sold in souvenir shops on Sardinia. Nuraghic bronzes didn't have plinths.

 

Ok i understand, thanks!

 

Smart, @Any Jewelry

But, without a plinth, how do they stand? Or don't they?

 

I don't know, maybe they once had wooden plinths, which would have desintegrated in all those millennia. Or they were hung?
I would have to check my father's notes and books, he worked on an archaeological dig in Sardinia. We had several replicas at home, of which I kept one, a bronze Nuraghi model boat like these original ones:



Another way to distinguish authentic from repro is the patination. The little guy above is artificially patinated. These, from the archaeological museum in Cagliari, Sardinia, have natural patination:



Just noticed, the one on the right looks like he once stood on a plinth of a material that has decayed over time, possibly wood.

 

This link has more to do with stones and ceramics, but I thought his point about how the surface on things buried will wear and soften over time.

Authentication Tutorial

Premiere Auctions Group

 

Very cool @Any Jewelry!

 

Yeah I can see the difference in patina, oh well.. you allways want it to be the real stuff.

 

I know the feeling. But Sardinian replicas are among the nicest archaeological replicas there are, imo. And it is bronze, not brass.
There will be other items, and they may be antique. We'll be here if you have questions. I hope we'll also have answers.

Welcome to the forum, btw, I completely forgot my manners.

 

Absolutely right, and great info. Antique bronze is nice and soft to the touch too, compared with recent bronze.

 

Welcome, @Scoobydooo!

 

Hello everyone. Next item coming soon.

 

Late to the party and totally not helpful comment: did anyone else look at the cow with a club and think "I am not a piece of meat"? (LOL)

 

LOL he (the cow) is not taking shit from anyone.