A Victorianposite stone model of the Uffizi Boar, called 'Il Porcellino', A Victorianposite stone model of the Uffizi Boar, called 'Il Porcellino', mid-19th century, attributed to Austin & Seeley, the figure seated on an integral square plinth, 110cm wide 180cm deep 142cm high This cast stone model of the Uffizi Boar takes its name from a 17th-century bronze fountain by sculptor Pietro Tacca, made for Cosimo II de' Medici and originally placed in the Loggia at the Mercato Nuovo in Florence. Made in the 1630s, it was modelled after an earlier marble version (Italian, 2nd-1st century BC) discovered in Rome in 1556 on the slopes of the Esquiline Hill, itself thought to be based on a lost Greek Hellenistic bronze version. After restoration, the marble was brought to Florence in 1568 as a gift from Pope Pius IV to Duke Cosimo I deÕ Medici, initially placed in the Pitti Palace. Both this marble and the 17th-century bronze versions are now housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and are two of the most popular sculptures in the collection. Several copies of the Boar appear in collections around the world, however, an almost identical model of the present example, without the integral plinth, is illustrated in Austin & Seeley's catalogue, 'Specimen Book of Austin & Seeley's Artificial Stone Manufactory, LondonÕ, 1844, p.9. Austin & Seeley were known as suppliers of fine garden statuary to the largest country houses in England and similar stone examples can be found at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, Castle Howard in Yorkshire, and Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. For a similar example, see: Christie's, 'The Collection of Will Fisher, Founder of Jamb', 2 February 2012, lot 98. Condition Report: Restored recently by Thomason Cudworth. Notes on work carried out:Ê Repairs to the insides of both front legs Re-attachment of tail.Ê Repairs to the bottom of the plinth caused by ropes and bindings in previous transports of the piece. Areas of restoration as stated above. General knocks, small chips, losses, wear and weatheringmensurate with age. Please see additional photos for reference.