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VERS 1740
Details
PAIRE DE CHENETS AUX LIONS D'ÉPOQUE LOUIS XV
VERS 1740
En bronze ciselé et doré, à décor d'un lion rugissant et d'un lion passant sur une riche terrasse rocaille de feuilles d'acanthe et enroulements, les fers sommés de pommes de pin
H. 41 cm. (16 in.) ; L. 54 cm. (21 ¼ in.) ; P. 60 cm. (23 ¾ in.)
VERS 1740
En bronze ciselé et doré, à décor d'un lion rugissant et d'un lion passant sur une riche terrasse rocaille de feuilles d'acanthe et enroulements, les fers sommés de pommes de pin
H. 41 cm. (16 in.) ; L. 54 cm. (21 ¼ in.) ; P. 60 cm. (23 ¾ in.)
Provenance
Maison Jansen, Paris ; acquis en 1939 par
Doña Graziella Patiño de Ortiz Linares (1900-1980) et Son Excellence Don Jorge Ortiz Linares (1894-1965) ;
Puis par descendance.
Doña Graziella Patiño de Ortiz Linares (1900-1980) et Son Excellence Don Jorge Ortiz Linares (1894-1965) ;
Puis par descendance.
Literature
Bibliographie comparative :
G. de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild collection, Furniture, Clocks and Gilt bronze, vol. II, Fribourg, 1974, pp. 722-723.
H. Ottomeyer, P. Pröschel et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, pp. 72-73.
B. Desmarest, Catalogue IX, Didier Aaron, Paris, 2006, n°29.
G. de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild collection, Furniture, Clocks and Gilt bronze, vol. II, Fribourg, 1974, pp. 722-723.
H. Ottomeyer, P. Pröschel et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, pp. 72-73.
B. Desmarest, Catalogue IX, Didier Aaron, Paris, 2006, n°29.
Further Details
A PAIR OF LOUIS XV ORMOLU LION CHENETS, CIRCA 1740
Beyond their impressive scale, this pair of Louis XV ormolu firedogs, surmounted by a pair of rampant lions conceived as pendants—one tranquil, the other roaring—belongs to an exceptionally rare group. Indeed, the only other known pair of this model is preserved in the state apartments of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, suggesting a royal provenance for the present pair.
Several examples of an earlier version of the model are nevertheless recorded. They feature the same lion figures as ours but are set on Régence-style bases. One is preserved at the Munich Residenz (inv. A 274a) (fig. 1), another at Waddesdon Manor (inv. WI/II/2), formerly in the collection of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, and a third at Lochinch Castle. A further variant of the model, surmounted by rearing horses, is also known. While this version is specifically recorded in the posthumous inventory of Jacques Caffieri, drawn up on 1 December 1755, it is tempting to consider the role the celebrated bronzier may also have played in the conception of the present model with its rampant lions.
The presence of coats of arms on the earlier firedogs suggests that the design of the lions originated in the heraldic repertory. In the present model, however, the escutcheons have been replaced by a richly animated arrangement of scrolling acanthus leaves, reflecting the Rococo taste that flourished during the 1740s.
Beyond their impressive scale, this pair of Louis XV ormolu firedogs, surmounted by a pair of rampant lions conceived as pendants—one tranquil, the other roaring—belongs to an exceptionally rare group. Indeed, the only other known pair of this model is preserved in the state apartments of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, suggesting a royal provenance for the present pair.
Several examples of an earlier version of the model are nevertheless recorded. They feature the same lion figures as ours but are set on Régence-style bases. One is preserved at the Munich Residenz (inv. A 274a) (fig. 1), another at Waddesdon Manor (inv. WI/II/2), formerly in the collection of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, and a third at Lochinch Castle. A further variant of the model, surmounted by rearing horses, is also known. While this version is specifically recorded in the posthumous inventory of Jacques Caffieri, drawn up on 1 December 1755, it is tempting to consider the role the celebrated bronzier may also have played in the conception of the present model with its rampant lions.
The presence of coats of arms on the earlier firedogs suggests that the design of the lions originated in the heraldic repertory. In the present model, however, the escutcheons have been replaced by a richly animated arrangement of scrolling acanthus leaves, reflecting the Rococo taste that flourished during the 1740s.
Brought to you by
Paul Gallois
Head of European Furniture, EMEA