A Florentine Carrara marble bust of 'la Sulamitide' by Galleria Fratelli Lapini, in the manner of work by Pietro Bazzanti (1825-1895), late 19th century, the maiden portrayed in Levantine costume, the roundels to her headdress inscribed SO LA MI TI DE, with roses to the truncation, the reverse inscribed G. ria F. lli LAPINI FIRENZE 1896, 49cm high The subject is likely inspired by 'La Sulamitide', a 1739 play by Giuseppe Maria Ercolani, and the subsequent 1753 opera of the same title by Domenico Fischietti. A bust of the same subject though slightly different in dress was recently sold at Sotheby's, 18 June 2020, lot 121 (£7,500).