Carved Wooden Eagle Lectern – Late 17th / Early 18th Century

Large eagle sculpture in beech wood, depicting a lectern with outstretched wings. This type of representation, intended to hold liturgical books, is an emblematic figure of religious art, symbolizing Saint John the Evangelist. The sculpture is remarkable for the quality of the plumage, treated with great attention to detail, and for the expression given to the eagle, powerful and majestic. All the elements that make up this sculpture are held together by pegs, an oak lectern assembled with mortise and tenon joints with wrought iron pegs and nails rests on the animal's back. Two elements make this piece particularly unique: -The base: contrary to the tradition that the eagle rests on a globe, here the talons enclose a sculpted plant form evoking a fruit, probably a stylized melon. This atypical iconography could symbolize fertility, abundance or reflect a regional or allegorical interpretation. -The type of wood: the choice of beech wood, rare for this type of work often executed in oak, provides a fine texture ideal for the precision of the carved work, visible in particular in the feathers and volumes. The whole rests on a posterior base in blackened wood, equipped with an iron axis allowing the lectern to pivot to adapt it to reading. This antique lectern, probably of French origin, is dated from the end of the 17th or the beginning of the 18th century. It is part of a tradition of liturgical furniture while standing out from it by its formal originality. Dimensions: Total height: 101 cm Height of eagle alone: 71 cm Width: 72.5 cm