19th Century Italian Grand Tour Bronze Wine Vessel Askos with Panther Handle

19th century Italian Grand Tour panther handled askos, or wine vessel. The design of this piece is probably based on a bronze Roman askos held within Naples Museum. An askos is an ancient leather water bottle that was copied in other materials as far back as the Roman period, and often seen in bronze in the Victorian period. With black patina, this is a very fine example with nice scale at 9 3/4 inches high 9 wide and 7 deep.
The pyriform jug wrought with a wreath of foliage, gadrooned tongue-shaped lip,
handle formed by figure of a panther with forepaws resting on the lip.