Crab on a base with heads of children and lions' paws

late 16th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 536

On loan to The Met

This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.

The object was probably a quill holder. The crab, shown walking with raised pincers, was presumably cast from nature. It has been plausibly suggested that Ludovico del Duca made the piece for his Innsbruck employer, Archduke Ferdinand II, whose astrological sign was Cancer.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Crab on a base with heads of children and lions' paws
Maker: Ludovico del Duca (died after 1601)
Date: late 16th century
Culture: Italian
Medium: Bronze
Dimensions: 5 7/8 in. (15 cm)
Classification: Sculpture-Bronze
Credit Line: Lent by The Hearn Family Trust, 2003
Object Number: L.2003.60
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts