Antique Bronze Statue Fedele Spinario Boy with Thorn Greco Roman Copy

This is an antique bronze statue based on an original Greco-Roman bronze that is typically known as Fedele, Spinario or Boy with Thorn. The original is one of the only Roman empire bronzes that was never lost to sight and was one of the first to be copied, circa 1501. The original is believed to date to the 1st century and influenced many sculptors of the Renaissance period, including Michelangelo. These copies were produced in different sizes and qualities to be sold to visitors taking The Grand Tour of Europe during the 19th century. This example measures 5 1/4 in height and weighs 2 lbs. It is made of green patinated bronze. Unfortunately, the piece has a crack in the arm (see last close-up photo), but otherwise, is in very good condition except for a bit of patina loss in a couple of places, most notably on the back. Nice detail in the casting, this is a good quality piece, even though unsigned. Despite the crack, a nice display bronze - sold as is at a very reasonable price!