Fireplace Garniture – Early 19th Century, French Work, Louis XV Style After The Fountain

Exceptional Fireplace Garniture – Early 19th Century, French Work, Louis XV Style

A superb fireplace garniture in finely chased and richly ornamented gilt bronze, comprising a clock and its matching pair of candelabra, executed in the refined Louis XV taste.

This French work from the early 19th century reflects the remarkable craftsmanship of master bronziers of the period, combining decorative elegance with technical mastery.

The ensemble draws its inspiration from the poetic world of the fables of Jean de La Fontaine and Aesop, offering a true sculpted narrative in which each element conveys a moral and allegorical scene.

Each piece illustrates an animated animal subject with remarkable detail and expressiveness:

• Right candelabrum – The Fox and the Squirrel:
  A cunning fox attempts to outwit a lively and cautious squirrel, who escapes thanks to its agility.
  Lesson: alertness and prudence can overcome cunning.
• Left candelabrum – The Fox and the Crow:
  A fox flatters a crow to trick it into dropping the cheese it holds in its beak, demonstrating the deceptive power of flattery.
  Lesson: flatterers live at the expense of those who listen to them.
• Clock – The Eagle and the Vixen:
  After betraying a pact of peace by devouring a vixen’s young, the eagle is ultimately punished when its own offspring perish.
  Lesson: betrayal and injustice are always repaid in kind.

The dial is set within a richly sculptural composition, while the pendulum itself is a remarkable work of art, depicting a hoopoe with outstretched wings, executed with exceptional finesse in chased bronze.

The ensemble retains its original mercury gilding, which has only been lightly cleaned, preserving the depth, warmth, and authenticity of its original patina.

Dimensions:

• Candelabra: width 36 cm – height 74 cm
• Clock: width 34 cm – height 57 cm