AN ITALIAN ALABASTRO FIORITO MODEL OF AN ANTIQUE ROMAN SARCOPHAGUS KNOWN AS 'THE TOMB OF AGRIPPA'

Such objet d'arts served as garnitures for chimney-pieces furnished in the late 18th century 'antique' fashion. It is modelled on the celebrated Pantheonic 'tomb of Agrippa', and one such model featured amongst the 1790s sketches, made by the Rome-trained architect C.H. Tatham, of ornaments suitable for the embellishment of the palatial Carlton House residence of George Prince of Wales, later George IV.
It is likely this model was originally at Kenwood House, which had been transformed by Robert Adam for the 1st Earl of Mansfield between 1764-1779. It bears similarities to a pair of hall benches, probably carved by Sefferin Nelson and sold in the contents sale of Kenwood in 1922 (either lot 874 or 875) which have recently been rediscovered by the London trade.