Easily the most known sculptures in wax are the prized bambini, often found under glass domes. The origin of wax as a medium of sculpture was for the study of medicine in the 17th century.
This use came from a need to supplant the ephemeral corpse with a non-perishable substitute for the practical purpose of not being able to meet the increasing demand for bodies.
The Birth of Christ, The Epiphany, the Garden of Gethsemane and The Deposition – all contained in their original five-sided open case ‘theatres’ and set in mahogany outer cases of the 19th century – will be part of an art auction by Belgravia Auction Gallery, St Julian’s.
The four ‘theatres’ in the auction are notably one of the most important lots of extraordinary art that have come through Belgravia Auction Gallery since 1971, and compare to the set of Edward Caruana Dingli watercolours that had created a sensation when they appeared in the 1970s. They were then purchased by the Phoenicia Hotel.
Auction viewing runs until tomorrow. For more details, visit www.belgraviaauctions.com.