A Baroque Style Sculptural Carved Wood Cradle

Description

A Baroque Style Sculptural Carved Wood Cradle.

The oval shaped shell with scrolled finial surmounted by a putto in flight. The front underside with a climbing putto. The shell held by a standing putto with arms raised and on a drapery carved support. The rockwork base with eared corners and shell carved feet.

Italian, Circa 1850.

This cradle or culla in Italian, was designed to present for an audience an infant of noble birth. The shell is a symbol of birth and good fortune, and the putti embody the heavenly spirits of children. The interior would have originally been lined with padding, buttoned material and a mattress. The putto atop the shell would have held a kind of canopy to offer shade. Conceived in the baroque style of the late 17th century, this cradle most probably dates to the mid-19th century. For modern tastes it is perhaps better suited for use as a planter or even a large wine cooler.