Antique/Vintage large sculpture reproduction of 'Spinario' or Il 'Fedele', 'Boy pulling a Thorn from his Foot' -

Dimensions are : 21" high , 13" wide , 15 1/2" deep , with base measurements of 15 1/2" X 8 1/4" X 1 7/8" - Original sculptor is unknown - Material is an unidentified alloy ( not spelter ), plated in either brass or bronze. An extraordinary piece, a rare large reproduction almost the size of the original Ancient Greek sculpture. This unusually large reproduction of 'The Spinario' is not only dramatic and of course unique for its size, but the boys figure is an exacting replica of the original bronze work from the 1st century BCE of Ancient Greece. Discovered by the Romans, the work and the story behind its creation fascinated them so that it was the subject of many reproductions in that Ancient empire. The story is that a fit young shepherd boy called 'Marcius' was chosen to take an urgent message to the Roman senate regarding a potential battle attack. As he ran barefoot he stepped on a thorn, but given the exigency of the message he kept running until it was delivered and only then did he sit down to remove the painful barb. Impressed by his loyalty to Rome, the Senate chose to honor 'Marcius' by commissioning a monument to him- a sculpture commemorating his act of selfless dedication. It was called 'Il Fedele' - The Faithful Boy - or 'Spinario' from the Latin 'spinator' The Thorn Puller - and whether the story, the legend, is true or not , it is an inspiring work that embodies principles of patriotic loyalty and short term sacrifice for the greater good. Many of the great sculptors from ancient to modern times have chosen to reproduce it. Beyond its clear appeal as a work of art it is a veritable study of the components of great sculpture- composition, form, movement, anatomy and the statement it makes to us as humans. Obviously it's a naked young boy examining the sole of his foot, a common enough experience - but why ? The answer elevates it to a place beyond the mundane and gives it a higher purpose. This is what separates and creates great art from everyday images even while it itself is somewhat of an everyday image- a boy seated and looking at his foot. This reproduction is larger than any other we've seen and much more faithful to the original than any other we've come across. Housed in the Capitoline Museums in Rome, the original Roman bronze measures 28.7", not much larger than ours here. For a better idea of the size of this piece, the last photo in the photo section displays it sitting on a Russian Empire Caryatid table with a 29" diameter marble top. This conveys an accurate image of the dramatic dimensions of this 'Spinario' reproduction. Were this piece in bronze, it would fetch upwards of $20,000. A smaller 19" bronze replica can be found at a price of $12,500. Ours is a magnificently accurate reproduction for far less. It weighs in at 31 lbs. You won't find another in these dimensions at this price.