This larger than life marble sculpture is a copy by Belgian sculptor Egide Mélot from an ancient original housed in the Royal Museum of Fine Art of Belgium believed to have been made in the late 18th Century, once attributed to Grupello and Ollivier de Marseille. The hand lifting the conch shell is now destroyed due to weathering. Egide Hyacinthe Mélot (Antwerp 1816 - Schaerbeek 1885) was a famous sculptor, trained at the Academy of Antwerp. He was well known for his sculptures of figures, large figurative statues and busts. He worked with others on the decoration of the Brussels Stock Exchange, the facades of the Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He also taught other sculptors in his private atelier such as Guillaume De Large and A. Braekevelt. 

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.