Pair of Carved Oak Columns with Musicians

A substantial pair of carved oak architectural columns, each depicting a standing figure of a musician, one playing a drum, the other a tambourine. The figures, with expressive faces and flowing hair, are carved in the round above a series of cascading foliate ornaments, including pendant flowerheads and acanthus leaves, terminating in bold vegetal sprays.
The iconography of musicians was a popular theme in 17th-century Netherlandish decorative art, often symbolising festivity, harmony, and the ordering of society through music. Comparable carvings are found on cabinets, choir stalls, and architectural interiors, where such figures celebrated both entertainment and divine order. The present pair, at over 35 inches in height, are particularly impressive survivals, retaining excellent depth of carving and a rich aged surface.