"return From Egypt" Paperweight, Bronze Sphinx Sculpture From The Napoleon III Era, Orientalist-style Desk

Antique patinated bronze sphinx resting on a banded onyx pedestal, dating from the Napoleon III era (1852–1870).

This sculpture draws on the iconography of ancient Egypt, combining the body of a reclining lion with a female face wearing the nemes, a symbol of power, wisdom, and protection.

Egyptomania experienced a veritable boom during the Second Empire. Stemming from Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign, it inspired the decorative arts, architecture, and furniture design. Sphinxes became emblematic motifs, adorning both furniture and objets d’art intended for bourgeois interiors.

A very beautiful paperweight that will naturally find its place in a cabinet of curiosities, a library, or a period-style interior, where it will evoke the Second Empire’s refined taste for the Orient and ancient civilizations.

• Height: 11.5 cm
• Length: 15.5 cm

In good condition, with slight wear to the patina