DOMENICO MASTROIANNI (1876-1962): A TROPHY FROM THE 1908 MON...

Hammer

£7,800

DOMENICO MASTROIANNI (1876-1962): A TROPHY FROM THE 1908 MONACO MOTORBOAT MEETING

‘Le Championnat de la Mer’ / ' The Champion of The Sea'

bronze sculpture cast by 'Ervann Editeur, Paris'., circa 1908, by the lost wax process and depicting two early racing motorboats rounding the figure of Victory rising from the sea holding a laurel wreath, signed behind second boat 'D Mastroianni', secured to granite plinth -- 12½ x 29 x 9½in. (32 x 73.5 x 24cm.)

This trophy is understood to have been awarded to the Panhard-Levassor team at the 1908 Monaco race meeting. Taking place between 1-13 April, the principal race on the 9th April was a 200km course open to all competitors. In fact there were only four real contenders, two from France comprising Panhard-Levassor and Grand Trefle, the Italian team with a Fiat-Gallinari and the British team with a Wolseley-Siddeley which was tipped as the favourite. In the event, the Wolseley-Siddeley broke down, the Fiat-Gallinari caught fire and the second French team lost control ramming a photographer's boat with the loss of one life, leaving the Panhard-Levassor to complete the course in 3h 45m 2s - over an hour ahead of the next boat. Nevertheless, this splendid art-nouveau sculpture was presented to the winning team and, because it's understood to have been produced using the lost wax process, is considered unique.