The Cornucopia

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Category: Sculpture

The fruit in the sculptural field has always been present since ancient times as a symbol of abundance, in garlands and festoons, but especially in its representation par excellence, or the Cornucopia, whose mythical origins date back to the horn of the goat Amalthea (Κέρας τής Αμάλθειας), who nursed Zeus on Mount Ida in Crete, which would have empowered to donate everything.

The representation of the cornucopia overflowing with fruits is therefore also spread in the sculptural iconography of ancient Greece and is the first real recurring theme of still life.

The theme of abundance with the presence of fruit, sometimes also exotic, had great success and some of ancient art representations are of particular historical significance, as fruits that were considered present on European tables only after the discovery of America, that are being documented already much earlier times, casting a new light on the territories explored since ancient times.