Mask of a Young Lady - Item #264

11 Inches High x 9 Inches Wide x 6.75 Inches Deep This mask comes from Bust of a Young Lady which is recognized as one of the most beautiful portraits of the Quattrocento. Its unconfirmed attribution has made it a well-known mystery among art historians. Wilhelm von Bode, who acquired the bust for the Berlin Museums in the 19th century, thought it might be the work sculpted by Desiderio da Settignano (c.1429-1464) that was described in Giorgio Vasari’s 1550 book The Lives. Desiderio’s work was a portrait of Marietta Strozzi (1448-c.1498) who was considered the most beautiful woman in 15th-century Florence. Art historians have not been able to determine if any extant bust is the legendary one of Marietta since female portrait busts created during the Quattrocento are very similar in style. As for the identity of the sculptor, the current attribution is to Antonio Rossellino (1427-c.1479), a prolific sculptor known for the subtleties imbued in his works. His most famous work of sculptur