Mercury Farnese at The Palace of Versailles, France

myminifactory

This 1685 marble sculpture by Barthelemy de Melo (1663-1720) is entitled "Mercure Farnese". The "Farnese" of the title suggests that the piece was once in the Farnese family collection in Rome. Mercury, the god of merchants and merhcandise, was also known for his speed- thus, he was also the messenger of the other Gods...and the 1st planet in our solar system is named after him. The element mercury is also named after him due to its volatile nature. This statue depicts Mercury undressed and casually leaned against a post with a cloth flowing conveniently over his private parts. He carries his trademark Caduceus in his right hand and perhaps it's sheath in his left. He also wears a winged helmet.   This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.