This is an original work from Florence, Italy. The back of the bench is carved in relief with a scene from the mythological tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. In the story, Orpheus breaks his promise to Pluto, King of the underworld, when he looks back at Eurydice as he attempts to lead her back to life. In the scene depicted, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, places his hand on Eurydice’s arm in order to return her to Pluto’s realm of darkness. The inspiration for this bench carving was the design on a Grecian urn in the National Museum, Naples.