Balcony parapet with reliefs Venetian Sculptor

On this parapet, which was originally part of a balcony in the courtyard of the Fondaco dei Mori in Venice, we see a Renaissance-style formulation of a Gothic theme. In the middle oval field is a scene of a young couple going on a falconry hunt, whose close analogies can be found in French ivory sculpture. To gain a more accurate view of the depiction, we should perhaps look to the knightly literature that had become increasingly popular in Italy since the late twelfth century; it is possible that the sculptor was portraying an episode from the story of Tristan and Isolde. The Renaissance-style putti, which line both sides and are holding casques and shells, and the motifs of the side reliefs with their floral vines ending in dolphin heads, are likely to have been inspired by the works of Pietro Lombardo.