Capricorn (section of a zodiac frieze)

Art Historical Context

This exquisite bronze relief, titled *Capricorn* and dated 1582, hails from Milan, Italy, and forms a section of a larger zodiac frieze. Craft by an unknown artist, it measures a compact 6½ × 7⅞ × 1⅞ inches, making it a finely detailed piece suited for architectural or furniture decoration. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, it exemplifies the Renaissance-era fascination with classical motifs and celestial symbolism. In late 16th-century Milan, zodiac imagery like this depiction of Capricorn—the mythical sea-goat—held cultural ...