“emir,” An Arabian Stallion From The Imperial Stable, By Pierre Lenordez (1815–1892)

Bronze with a richly contrasting, nuanced brown patina.
Sand-cast bronze from the second half of the 19th century, signed and marked by the foundry “Duplan et Salles.”
Bears the engraved dedication: “Émir, presented to the Emperorby Abd-el-Kader.”
Dimensions: H. 28 × W. 41 × D. 11 cm.
Provenance: An important British private collection.

CATALOG NOTE
This bronze is an exceptional historical testament to diplomatic relations between France and Algeria during the Second Empire.The sculpture depicts the stallion Émir, presented by Emir Abd el-Kader to Napoleon III.
This gift, of major symbolic significance in the Arab equestrian tradition, sealed the friendship between the two men following Abd el-Kader’s release from the Château d’Amboise in 1852.
As the official sculptor for the imperial stud farms and stables, Pierre Lenordez was commissioned to immortalize the thoroughbred.
The work displays rigorous anatomical precision: a haughty head carriage, slender limbs, andrestrained power. The Parisian publishers and casters Duplan and Salles, who were very active in the mid-19thcentury, supplied the European aristocracy and the imperial court.
They are notably responsible for the edition of Jacques-Louis Gautier’s famous *Mephistopheles*, presented at the World’s Fair and acquired at the time by the Duchess of Alba.
The quality of the chiseling and the remarkable patina of this specimen illustrate the excellence of this firm’s craftsmanship.
Never before seen on the market, this print combines the virtuosity of a great master of animal sculpture with an imperial provenance.

High-definition photo gallery available upon request