Eagle Of The Gates Of The Tuileries Palace

A bronze eagle adorns the gates of the Tuileries Palace. The Tuileries Palace, a royal and later imperial residence built by Catherine de Medici, was badly damaged during the Paris Commune in 1871. It could have been restored, but the government of 1883 preferred to demolish it. In 1806-1807, Napoleon I had the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel erected to commemorate, among other things, the Battle of Austerlitz. Gates were built on either side to enclose the courtyard. The supporting posts were topped with a sphere surrounded and surmounted by eagles. The former have concave backs and curved bases, the latter are upright. These eagles were removed during the restoration. In engravings dating from 1810, we see eagles on spheres at the top of the posts; in photographs dating from the reign of Napoleon III, they are no longer present. Eagles. Small dent on the head (casting defect). Height: 13.5 cm. Eagle width: Total weight: kg