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380213

Magnificent Bronze Sculpture Mercury & Caduceus

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:490.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 1,500.00 USD
Magnificent Bronze Sculpture Mercury & Caduceus
Mercury & Caduceus, Bronze Sculpture, 22"H x11"D x 11"W 14 lbs This bronze sculpture was produced using the "Lost Wax" casting method. The"Lost Wax" Cast method is the most precise metal casting technique in existence, ensuring exquisite detail of the original host model which is usually sculpted in clay or wax. This "Lost Wax" casting method is an extremely labor intensive and expensive process, but the end results produce a Heirloom Quality Masterpiece!The caduceus is typically depicted as a short herald's staffentwined by two serpents in the form of a double helix, and is sometimes surmounted by wings. This staff was first borne by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It was also called the wand of Hermes when he superseded Iris in much later myths.In later Antiquity the caduceus might have provided the basis for the astrological symbol representing the planet Mercury and in Romaniconography was often depicted being carried in the left hand of Mercury, the messenger of the gods, guide of the dead and protector of merchants, shepherds, gamblers, liars and thieves. In addition to representing the planet Mercury, the caduceus is also a long-established historical symbol of commerce. As one specialized study of symbolism notes, "In modern times the caduceus figures as a symbol of commerce, since Mercury is the god of commerce."The caduceus is sometimes used as a symbol of medicine and/or medical practice, especially in North America, due to widespread confusion with the traditional medical symbol, the rod of Asclepius, which has only a single snake and no wings. This erroneous use of the caduceus became established in the United States in the late 19th century as a result of mistakes and misunderstandings which have been well-documented. Today, the initial errors which led to its adoption often go unremarked or unnoticed. However, numerous specialized professional and academic studies of its symbolic significance note the initial error and its perpetuation. Most attempts to defend its use in a medical context date from the last quarter of the 19th century through the first quarter of the 20th, and have been characterized as "based on flimsy and pseudo-historical research". When the mistaken use in the United States became better-known, a number of organizations changed from using the caduceus to using the rod of Asclepius, notably the American Medical Association.
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