A stunning Italian late 17th Century white Carrara marble statue of Daphne turning into a tree. The beautiful statue is raised by a square base with a stepped mottled design. Daphne stands in front of a tree trunk while draped... — Read More

A stunning Italian late 17th Century white Carrara marble statue of Daphne turning into a tree. The beautiful statue is raised by a square base with a stepped mottled design. Daphne stands in front of a tree trunk while draped in a wonderfully executed flowing garment. Her hands and fingers are turning in to a laurel tree following the acclaimed myth.

The Greco-Roman states that the god Cupid, son of Venus, placed a curse on the powerful god Apollo. This made Daphne the unwilling object of Apollo's infatuation making him chase her against her wishes. Following his continuous attempts Daphne begged her river god father, Peneus, for help. Just before Apollo was going to capture Daphne, her father turned her into a laurel tree so that she was safe and could not be reached anymore. After seeing this, Apollo developed a special reverence for laurel and proclaimed the tree to be of great status and one seen throughout the centuries with many meaning and symbolism. — Read Less