A Neapolitan verdigris patinated bronze model of a fisherman, sometimes called Mercury, after the Antique, late 19th century, portrayed seated on a rock outcrop, draped and wearing a petasus, 56cm high The Roman original upon which this model is based was excavated at the Casa Della Fontana Piccola in Pompeii. Academics have debated the identity of the work since it first came to light, at different times arguing that it represented a fisherman, the god Mercury or a charioteer. During the late 19th century when bronze models of the figure were being cast by the great Neapolitan foundries of Chiurazzi, de Angelis and Somner in significant numbers to feed the souvenir market brought about by the Grand Tour, the prevalent opinion was that the figure was a fisherman. Resultantly many of the bronzes produced at that time have the figure holding a rod in his right hand and a basket in his left