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A fine Directoire gilt and patinated bronze fender, the stepped rectangular standards cast with armorial motifs amid scrolling foliage and surmounted by patinated winged griffins, each with an opposing foot resting on a sphere, the shaped rail cast with a floral and foliate swag centred by a palmette and flanked by foliate wrapped flaming torches, below a patinated bar with pinecone terminals fixed by circular palmette cast drum-shaped supports
Paris, date circa 1800
Length 133cm, width 33cm.
It is interesting to compare this fender with one attributed to the eminent Empire fondeur-ciseleur Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843), which has Sphinxes seated on the standards and quite similar armorial mounts below, (illustrated in Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel, “Vergoldete Bronzen”, 1986, p. 341, pl. 5.4.6).
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