Chimney piece panel: Putti playing with ram

This marble relief panel was originally part of a chimney piece. A chimney piece formed a decorative frame around an open fire, and this panel was the central decoration above the fire. It shows five putti gathered around a ram with trees and foliage in the background. A putti is a representation of a naked child, especially a cherub or a cupid in Renaissance art. The panel has been attributed to Henry Cheere (1703 - 1781).