Key Information
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- Late 19th century-early 20th century (Creation)
Level of description
Item
Extent
1 item
Content and Structure
Scope and content
Plaster bust after a terracotta bust of Niccolo da Abruzzo in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence, believed to be by Donatello.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
General Information
Name of creator
Administrative history
Domenicho (Domenico) Brucciani (1815-1880) was born in Lucca, Italy and migrated to England in the first half of the nineteenth century. He established a business which produced casts of sculptural works from international collections. By 1837 he owned a showroom near Covent Garden and was selling works to the British Museum and the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum). By 1857 D. Brucciani & Co. were working for the British Museum, making moulds and casts of their classical sculptures, bronzes and other pieces, to be sold commercially. The company was successful during Brucciani's lifetime as it capitalised on the nineteenth century fashion to have plaster casts of sculptural works in the home. Following his death his business was purchased by another Italian, Joseph Caproni (1846 - 1900), who retained the name D. Brucciani & Co., and the business continued to manufacture casts, with customers including the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Museum of Classical Archaeology. However, as demand for plaster casts declined in the twentieth century, the business failed. Consequently, it was purchased by the V&A and operated as the Department for the Sale of Casts until 1951 when it was forced to closed due to financial losses.
Archival history
Photographed in June 2016 as part of GSA MSc International Heritage Visualisation project
Custodial history
Physical Description and Conditions of Use
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical Description
The back of the base includes a partially obscured inscription of "D. Brucciani & Co London". Several layers of white paint and a top coat of shellac, though large areas of loss reveal a greyed plaster surface.
Dimensions: 465 x 210 x 230 mm