Bronze Canova Lion Sculptures 19th Century

Name: Bronze Pair of “Canova Lions”
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1204013
Price: 360 GBP
Availability: InStock

FURTHER BROWSING

Visitors also looked at these ⇣

French Bronze Bust of Ajax, C.1880

£495

Grand Tour Bronze of Danaides 19th Century

£395

Italian Antique (Early 20thc) Large Bronze Statue of a Boy (Baccus?) Eating Grapes

£350

19th Century Grand Tour Bronze of Spinario

£295

19th Century Grand Tour Bust of King Menelaus of Sparta

£460

Antique Bronze Figure of a Cherub Holding a Wheat Sheaf

£390

Small Bronze Figure

£235

Bronze Wrestlers

£475

Victorian Bronze Figure of Classical Mother & Child Grecian Sculpture Grand Tour

£425

After Pierre Legros the Elder (1629-1714) - Bronze Silenus, Pan & Nereid

£425

Japanese Antique (Late 19thc) Pair of Bronze Monkeys, Hiromitsu

£395

Pair 19th Century Painted Signed Bronzes

£475

Spitalfields House

Telephone 07766 834925

Location

Spitalfields
London
United Kingdom

Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/spitalfieldshouse

Verified Since Jan 2022

Items For Sale 49

Items Sold 37

Spitalfields House

Verified Since Jan 2022

View Dealer Info

Location: Spitalfields, London, United Kingdom

Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/spitalfieldshouse

Verified

Jan 2022

For Sale

Sold

A pair of patinated dark bronze recumbent lions resting on rectangular plinths.

Bronze pair of “Canova Lions”

Ref: SA1204013

Your Name

Phone Number

Email Address

Message

Strictly Vetted Dealers

Secure Transit

Sustainable Choice

Frequently Asked Questions

Strictly Vetted Dealers

Every single antique dealer on our platform is individually approved by our internal team. We verify their professional trade history, ethical standards, and photographic quality to ensure a secure, high-standard buying environment. Upon joining, every dealer agrees to a strict 9-point code of conduct. While issues can occasionally arise, our dealers typically resolve them swiftly and directly with the buyer. In fact, since our founding in 2002, Sellingantiques has only had to step in to help resolve an issue on roughly five occasions—a true testament to the quality of our dealers and their dedication to your happiness.

Secure Transit

Our dealers are highly experienced in packing and shipping fragile, high-value antiques. Because you are in direct contact with the dealer, you will be able to easily go through all available shipping and insurance options together to ensure your item arrives safely.

The Sustainable Choice

Antiques are the ultimate green purchase. By choosing historical pieces over newly manufactured goods, you completely eliminate the carbon footprint of modern mass production while preserving exceptional, timeless craftsmanship.

FAQs

Canova lions are miniature or full-scale reproductions of the recumbent lions sculpted by Antonio Canova in 1792 for the tomb of Pope Clement XIII in St. Peters Basilica, Rome. They became widely produced souvenirs during the nineteenth-century Grand Tour.

These figures are traditionally cast in bronze, brass, or spelter, finished with a dark patination to highlight muscular detail and mane texture. Many examples are mounted on polished marble, slate, or cast bronze plinths.

Period pieces typically feature lost-wax or sand-casting seams, hand-chased surface details, and natural aged patina rather than uniform chemical coatings. Weight is also an indicator, as genuine cast metal sculptures feel heavy for their dimensions.

Position a pair of bronze lions symmetrically on a fireplace mantelpiece, flanked by books on a library shelf, or as desk accessories. Their dark brown tone complements timber surfaces, leather upholstery, and stone surfaces.

Dust the sculptures regularly using a soft brush or microfibre cloth, avoiding abrasive chemical cleaners that strip the original patina. A thin layer of microcrystalline wax can be applied annually and buffed to protect the surface from atmospheric oxidisation.

Spitalfields House

Bronze Pair of “Canova Lions”