Matched Pair original antique Venetian gondola cavalli (mooring mount). An impressive pair, each measures 13"x2"x12" and the combined weight is 23 pds. This piece was originally mounted on a gondola with a rope tied through it. PROVENANCE: The Estate of Sumner Pingree Jr, Brays Island Plantation, SC. Not all gondolas have cavalli, but almost all Venice-built ones do, and even some built elsewhere are adorned with these beautiful brass sculptures. Many gondoliers feel that a gondola without cavalli is "naked". Cavalli often take the horse, or "hippocampus" form, but some are cast as angels, sirens, and sea-creatures. They also come in different sizes and levels of detail. Small ones can weigh less than a pound, while the more impressive and showy ones can tip the scale at more than 30 pounds.

antique, some age appropriate wear