"17th Cty Superb & Large Mortar With Zoomorphic Sockets, Flower & Open Crown Medals"
Haute EpoqueSuperb, large and thick brass / bronze mortar, late 16th or early 17th century.
The medals, very precise and strongly protruding, feature various radiating floral motifs, and in the sides center 2 large open crowns, and the zoomorphic handles heads of dogs, half lions, and half dolphins as they were represented in Louis XIV period
Dimensions: 21cm diameter with handles (17,5 without), 14cm height
Weight approx 5kg
No damage or accident; very very good quality of bronze / cast iron Brass / 'AIRAIN' (from Latin aes) is an old term designating a copper alloy. It is notably used as a synonym for bronze and brass, and was also used as an alloy for the composition of bells. It is also common for mortar founders of this period to also make bells, using the same motifs of applied medals for the decoration of the pieces.
Bibliography
“Flowers and bronze figures, French mortars from the 15th to the 18th century”, under the direction of Bertrand BERGBAUER, Guillaume CONVERT, Pauline LURCON and Olivier RAMOUSSE, Serge DOMINI editor, June 2021
Le Magazine
Rivista Artiquariato
TRÉSORS magazine