Italy
Unknown

ca. 1780s
Wood, gilt, metal, terracotta
Height: 40 in; Width: 29 in
Other – Sculptures

This large, exquisite 18^th century Italian carved giltwood decorative wall lyre was crafted in Italy around 1780 in the Neoclassical style.  It showcases two intricately hand-carved scrolls at the top and features three strings above a grand oval medallion, complemented by small floral rosettes on each side.  The musical lyre is adorned with a rich palette of gold gilt, silver, and terracotta, reflecting its historical craftsmanship.  This unique decorative lyre boasts a beautiful patinated finish.

Neoclassical art with its widespread and influential movement in the visual arts began in the 1760s, reaching its height in the 1780s and ‘90s, then lasting into the 1840s and ‘50s. It was an aesthetic attitude based on the art of Greece and Rome in antiquity, involving clarity, harmony, restraint, universality, and idealism.  It rose partly as a reaction against the sensuous and frivolously decorative Rococo style of the 1720s.   

Resource:  https://www.britannica.com/art/Neoclassicism