Publication details
Luxury Souvenir or Precious Original : The Case of the Bronze Tripod from the Real Museo Borbonico
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2021 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Collecting Antiquities from the Middle Ages to the End of the Nineteenth Century |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Keywords | collecting antiquities; bronze tripod; Franz von Koller; Royal Bourbon Museum |
| Description | A newly discovered and unique exchange of correspondence between Baron Franz von Koller and the competent Neapolitan authorities about making a copy of bronze tripod which is exhibited in the royal museum in Naples captures what exactly was necessary to build a collection of antiquities at the turn of two epochs, while abiding by the official protocols and observing royal decrees. Baron Koller served as a general intendant in Naples between 1815 and 1826 and in this time, this educated diplomat became an accomplished collector of antiques and an amateur archeologist. Although he did not obtain the required permission, the inventory of his collection actually includes two different copies of bronze tripods “created after the original from the Real Museo Borbonico”. Koller’s desire to own the most accurate copy of the exhibited piece proves that it was not supposed to be a mere showpiece that catches the general atmosphere but a serious collectable original item. |