Sculptural 18th century Italian gilded crown base with hand-carved angels and an 18th century gilded angel, angel wing, and sunray with aragonite crystals. The crown was originally part of a canopy of a devotional structure or altar in a historical Italian church. The intricate Rococo piece has hand-carved scrolls and three carved angel heads which creates a historical work of art in its own right. The 18th century Italian hand-carved gilded angel is adorned with fossil agate coral wings and mounted pinkish white aragonite. The angel is also holding a coordinating baroque pearl. The gilded 18th century Italian angel wing and sunray have also been mounted on aragonite crystals. They sit on the crown base to create a sculptural work of art.

This piece is part of the Crown Collection, which is exhibiting with the Museo de' Medici in Florence, Italy from May 27th until June 28th. The collection is displaying in Museo de' Medici’s Cappella dei Nobili in the former monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli. The event will coincide with the museum’s reopening of the chapel. The Cappella dei Nobili was built in the 14th century and was originally created as an elegant devotional space for the monastic community. All of the elements of the chapel converged to create one of the most exquisite expressions of Florentine late Gothic art and architecture. The Museo de’ Medici is devoted to preserving the history of the Medici family and exhibiting precious collections of works of art, historical relics, original documents, faithful reconstructions and multimedia installations. 

This collection pays homage to the Medici dynasty - the powerful Italian banking family and political dynasty that rose to prominence in Florence during the Renaissance. They had significant influence for centuries, not only in Florence but also across Europe, through their wealth, political power, and patronage of the arts. They are a monumental reason the Renaissance flourished in Florence and can be thanked today for their contributions towards artists and the rich history of art we can appreciate today.