Large vase with peacocks, 1860-1880

Large vase with peacocks, 1860-1880.
Bronze with double patina.
In good condition.
Measurements: 113 x 63 cm.

This large vase is distinguished by the pair of peacocks ostentatiously displaying their great plumage on the body of the vase. The detailed detail of each one of the feathers, as well as the wiry faces and the rigid claws of the animals, tell us about the skill of the sculptor, who reflects with total veracity the careful study of the natural. Stylistically, the vase responds to the animalistic sculpture of the 19th century, naturalistic in the representation, both in the expression of the animals and in the details of their anatomy, fur, etc., although the decorativism of Art Nouveau advances.
The peacock is a possessor of some of the most admired human characteristics, and is a symbol of the integrity and beauty we can achieve when we strive to show our true face. In history, myth, legend, tradition and symbolism the peacock carries omens of nobility, sanctity, guidance, protection and vigilance. The peacock is a totem of glory, spirituality, awakening, immortality, refinement, incorruptibility. In Chinese spirituality it is associated with Kwan-yin, (Goddess of mercy, protector of women and children, and of fertility) who is also an emblem of love, vigilance, compassion, goodwill, nurturing, and kindness. The symbolism of the peacock is long, as its majesty has attracted the attention of mankind since ancient times. Although it is associated with the concept of vanity, the peacock is, in almost all cultures, a solar symbol related to beauty, glory, immortality and wisdom. It originated in India and it was Alexander the Great who brought it and its symbolic meaning to the West through Babylon, Persia and Asia Minor, reaching Greece in the Classical Period. Its solar symbolism is undoubtedly related to its long tail of colors and its drawings in the form of eyes that, due to their circular shape and brightness, also connect with the vital and eternal cycle of nature.