Inktpot met de Tiber, Romulus en Remus met de Wolvin, en het Della Rovere-wapen

About this artwork

height 21.5 cm x width 26.6 cm x depth 15.8 cm

Art Historical Context

The bronze sculpture presents a reclining bearded man with a muscular torso, his right arm resting on a she-wolf that nurses two infants. One child reaches forward while the other clings to the animal’s flank. A cornucopia filled with fruit sits at the man’s side, and the rectangular base carries a central coat of arms flanked by scrolling reliefs. The dark patina and crisp modeling highlight the fluid contours of the figures and the textured surfaces of fur, drapery, and foliage. Tiziano Minio made this inkpot around 1547–1548 in bronze. The work unites the personification of the Tiber with the familiar Roman myth of Romulus and Remus, while the Della Rovere emblem links the piece to a prominent Renaissance family. Such functional objects allowed collectors to appreciate classical imagery in daily use, blending mythological narrative with the refined casting techniques of mid-sixteenth-century Italy.