[lilos002]

I was given two plaster lions that belonged to my grandfather. I thought they were bookends but maybe are just statuary. They have an aluminum plate in the bottom from P.P. Caproni Casts in Boston. They are similar to the Sleeping and Awakening Lions and I would like to know if anyone knows anything about them. Thank you.

[firmbeliever]

Pietro Caproni - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pietro Paulo Caproni (1862-1928) was founder and co-owner of PP Caproni & Brother, Boston, Massachusetts, manufacturers of plaster reproductions of classical and contemporary statues. These 'cast' reproductions were, in an era before commercial photography, an integral educational tool in teaching people the history of art and antiquities.
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from the same article as above-
Caproni casts can be identified by a metal hallmark imbedded into the base of the cast. Early casts have brass hallmarks bearing "PP CAPRONI & BROTHER PLASTIC ARTS, BOSTON, MA." In later years the medium changed to aluminum. In 1932 the company changed names to 'Caproni Galleries, Inc' and was a supplier to Disney for the plaster figurines of all the Disney characters. Amadeo Nardini, owner of a casting company which specialized in ecclesiastical subjects, bought the company around 1940 and ran it as "Caproni Galleries of Amadeo."

Together with his brother, Emilio, the Caproni brothers supplied art schools, major universities and museums in the United States and abroad with quality reproductions. The firm operated under their ownership between 1892 and 1927, the year the company was sold and a year before Pietro's death.
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You could check this site if any of the lions here is the same as the one you have with you.
The Giust Gallery - exclusive replicas from Pietro Caproni molds - Selected Reproductions