19th Century Animal Sculptures

A pair of Emile Galle signed comical whimsical cats with glass eyes made in Nancy France Circa 1890. Nancy France Signed on legs with the Gallé Reinemer mark. The pair of faience ye...

19th Century Large Austrian Parrots & Flowers Cache Pot. Height / 12 inches. Diameter / 12 inches.

"Deux Chiens en Arret" by A L Barye A dramatic mid 19th Century French bronze animalier group of a pointer and setter as they iflushing pheasants in a naturalistic undergrowth. The bronze with excellent autumnal (green, brown, and orange) patina and intricate hand chased surface detail, signed Barye. A rare bronze subject from the artist’s own atelier (workshop). Additional information Measures: Height: 12 cm Width: 25 cm Depth: 8 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1860 Materials: Bronze Book Ref BARYE Catalogue Raisonne des Sculptures by Michel Poletti – Alain Richarme Page no. 150 Description Antoine Louis Barye “The Michelangelo of the Menagerie” These are the words of Théophile Gautier in praise of Barye’s genius. Throughout his life Barye endeavoured to capture the fundamental nature of the animal kingdom in all its diversity, wild or tame, exotic or familiar, cruel or gentle, bringing to life the roaring, trembling, living beasts. The son of a goldsmith, apprenticed to a steel engraver at a young age, Barye found himself making moulds for ornaments, acquiring knowledge that he would later build on to produce his exquisitely chased bronzes. When he was called up at seventeen, he joined the army’s topographic brigade where he used clay to model raised relief maps...

Antique bronze table bell cat in a top hat. France 1880-1900

A very rare mid 19th Century Animalier bronze study of a doe drinking by the side of a lake, the bronze with fabulous rich brown patina and very fine hand chased surface detail, rais...

A majestic late 19th Century Animalier bronze study of a walking tiger with excellent rich green and black patina and very fine hand chased surface detail. Raised on an integral base...

A superb mid 19th Century French animalier bronze study of a powerful panther reclining on a naturalistic rock. The surface of the bronze with excellent autumnal patina and very fine...

An impressive late 19th Century Animalier bronze study of a standing panther with excellent rich green patina and very fine hand chased surface detail. Raised on an integral base, si...

A humourous late 19th Century Animalier bronze study of a rabbit noticing with concern that sign post may be leading him to being included in a casserole. The surface of the bronze w...

A fabulous late 19th Century bronze study of a resting rabbit with excellent hand chased surface detail and very fine rich brown patina rubbed in areas to a golden hue, signed  ADD...

"Cheval Arabe No.3" by Pierre Jules Mene An attractive late 19th Century Animalier bronze study of an arab stallion. The bronze exhibiting excellent hand chased surface detail and g...

A wonderful late 19th Century Animalier bronze group of a hare resting on its hind legs with its ears raised in an alert position with excellent rich olive green and golden patina and fine hand chased surface detail, signed Dubucand, stamped with the EV Foundry stamp and Numbered 875 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Height: 10 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1880 Materials: Bronze Book reference: Animals in Bronze by Christopher Payne SKU: 9017 ABOUT Dubucand Hare Alfred Dubucand (25 November 1828 – 1894) Dubucand was born in Paris and was a French animalier sculptor of the 19th century. His works were often entered into the annual Salon art exhibition in Paris where he contributed works over the course of his career. He was one of the prize pupils of Antoine-Louis Barye. Dubucand made his debut at the 1867 Salon with a wax model of a dead pheasant, a rather inauspicious start when considering the higher quality sculptures he would submit later in his career. He modelled mainly animal groups, producing a number of deer, dog, and horse sculptures. His better casts feature a warm, mid-brown patination, sometimes coming in even lighter shades bordering on a very light yellow, being nearly the colour of the bronze metal itself. He frequently experimented with chemical patinas, learning the patination process from his teacher and mentor Barye who stretched the boundary with his now famous dark green patinas. Dubucand paid strict attention to the anatomical detail of his subjects, often being so concise that he actually showed the veins in the legs of his deer and elk sculptures...

Big Brown Stallion upon a onyx plinth From our Sculpture collection, we are delighted to offer this Austrian Cold Painted Bronze Horse. The Bronze mounted upon a squared green onyx base with a convex beading border. The horse beautifully cast with naturalistic features modelled as a big brown stallion inclusive of its brown to black hue. The horse stamped to the belly Geschutzt with the registration mark 2740. We firmly attribute the Austrian Bronze to Franz Bergman and date it to the late 19th century circa 1890. Franz Xavier Bergman (1861-1936) was the owner of a Viennese foundry who produced numerous patinated and cold-painted bronzes with a range of subjects such as oriental, erotic, and animal figures. He was probably the most famous Austrian bronze foundry who is widely recognised for smaller cold painted bronzes with an extremely good attention to detail. Signed often with a ‘B’ or Bergman and a registration mark. Geschutzt often stamped or printed it is pronounced “guess-shutst.” It is an abbreviation of the term gesetzlich geschutt which is a German phrase that translates as legally protected or in other words copywriter. It bares is a similar meaning to the English word Patented or French Depose...

A charming late 19th Century French animalier bronze group of a family of hounds. The bronze of three seated dogs including a mother, father and pup exhibiting excellent rich brown p...

Magnificent and very impressive bronze group entitled ‘Theseus and the Centaur’ by Antoine L Barye. The bronze with rich autumnal green, black, brown and orange patination and excell...

A striking mid 19th Century French bronze study of a proud standing Arab stallion with its tail and head lifted in an alert pose, raised on a naturalistic base. The surface with excellent mid to dark brown patina and very fine hand chased surface detail, signed Fratin ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Height: 24.5 cm Width: 26 cm Depth: 8.5 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1850 Materials: Bronze Book reference: Les Animaliers by Jane Horswell Page no. 94 SKU: 9069 ABOUT Christopher Fratin, French 1801 ~ 1864 also known as Christophe Fratin, was a noted French sculptor in the animalier style, and one of the earliest French sculptors to portray animals in bronze. Fratin was born in Metz, Moselle, France the son of a taxidermist. He first studied drawing under Pioche in Metz and later worked in Paris at the studio of Théodore Géricault. He exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1831–1842 and 1850–1862, as well as at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. Fratin never signed his bronzes but instead used a stamp showing his last name in straight block letters. One of the stamps he used (pictured) showed the "n" reversed, not by design but due to an error on the part of the maker of the stamp. Bronzes bearing this stamp have the appearance of not seeming to be genuine when in reality this foible is actually an indicator of authenticity. Fratin received monumental commissions in France and elsewhere, including the Deux Aigles Gardant Leur Proie (Eagles and Prey, created 1850) displayed since 1863 in New York City's Central Park. Many of his small bronzes—including his miniature bronzes which were more affordable due to their smaller size—were sold commercially to the general public during his lifetime. Today, Fratin's sculpture is on permanent display in the Louvre, the city museums of Metz, Lyon, Strasbourg, Nîmes and at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. The Georg Eisler...

Magnificent late 19th Century French Animalier bronze study of a standing thoroughbred with rich brown patina and excellent crisp surface detail, raised on a stepped integral base, s...

Large, decorative and top quality workmanship brass, copper and bronze bucket. This one is for the connoisseurs, because it ticks all the Arts and Crafts boxes. The first owner who would have had this piece custom made or who bought it from one of the best craftsman/manufacturers in the early Arts & Crafts era (1890-1900) simply had incredibly good taste. This likely German made antique is among the best workmanship pieces that you will ever see and both design and materials wise it is most likely made by WMF (who need no further introduction). The artisan metal worker who crafted this lidded bucket took things to a whole new level, because this is a true work of art and a statement piece of unsurpassed quality, size and detail. 'Casually' on display next to a fireplace or perhaps used as a planter or other type of bucket, the first owner was communicating that money was not an object and that he was a worldly individual. Especially 125 years ago this would have been a very rare and desirable, work of art bucket that only very few people could afford. Its perfect balance, its stunning embossed Arts and Crafts floral...

A charming mid 19th Century French bronze group of two feeding rabbits with fine autumnal (green, brown, black and orange) patination and excellent hand finished surface detail, sign...

A charming early 20th Century bronze group study of two rabbits in their natural enviroment, one enjoying a scratch as it sits at the top of a mound whilst the other rabbit sits in a more hidden area at the base on the mound. The bronze with excellent rich brown patina and very fine hand chased surafce detail, raised on a stepped base and signed Chemin ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Height: 8.5 cm Width: 10 cm Depth: 6 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1890 Materials: Bronze SKU: 9010 ABOUT Victor Joseph Chemin (French, 1825 ~ 1901) Chemin was an animal sculptor. He was a pupil Antoine Louis Barye, Chemin made his salon début in Paris in 1857. He produced models of dogs, foxes and...

An excellent mid 19th Century French Animalier bronze study of a falcon perched on a branch using its outspread wings to balance and with its beak open. The bronze exhibiting excellent intricate hand chased surface detail and very fine rich brown lightly rubbed patination, signed J Moigniez. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Height: 23 cm Width: 23 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1870 Materials: Bronze Book reference: Animals in Bronze by Christopher Paine Page no. 79 SKU: 9000 ABOUT Jules Moigniez (French, 1835 ~ 1894) Moigniez was a French animalier sculptor of the 19th century. He worked primarily in bronze and frequently exhibited his sculptures at the Paris salon. He was best known for his bronzes depicting birds, although his skill and versatility enabled him to produce quality horse sculptures (primarily racehorses), dog sculptures and hunting scenes. His bird sculptures were among the finest ever created in his time. Moigniez was born at Senlis, Oise, France in 1835, the son of a metal gilder. Moigniez’s father bought a foundry to cast his sculptures, which was of great benefit to Moigniez as he didn’t have the added foundry costs that most of his contemporaries had to pay. Moigniez studied sculpture under the tutelage of Paul Comoléra (a student of François Rude) in Paris. It is quite likely that Moigniez’s attraction to bird sculpture was a direct result of his education under Comoléra, who was himself a bird specialist. Over the course of his 40-year sculpting career Moigniez exhibited thirty works at the Salon between 1855–92. His first submission in a major art exhibition was his plaster, Pointer Stopping at a Pheasant, at the Exposition Universelle of 1855.[1][2] Moigniez was known for the fine detail and chiseling of his sculptures. His bronzes—usually cast using the lost wax method—were always immaculately chased and patinated, and were especially popular in England and Scotland.[2] More than half of his output during his lifetime was sold in the United Kingdom. By the end of the 19th century, his sculpture had become popular in the United States as well. In contrast with other animaliers of the period such are P.J. Mêne and Antoine-Louis Barye, Moigniez’s bird sculptures often incorporated highly detailed bases complete with bushes, extensive foliage and undergrowth. His castings were generally of excellent quality with a variety of patinas, the gilded and silvered patinas being the most desirable and sought after by collectors. His bronzes could be reproached for an excess of detail, a result of overly-finicky, over-worked chiseling. Moigniez received redemption, however, by portraying in his sculpture a certain “elegance of attitudes”. His Chien braque...

A delightful mid 19th Century French bronze figure of a tortoise with excellent hand chased surface deail and very fine fine rich brown patina rubbed to a golden hue in areas, raised...

Wonderful mid 19th Century French animalier bronze study of a seated rabbit in a timid position. The surface has a rich green and brown variegated patina and excellent hand chased de...

Late 19th century german terracotta sculpture of a resting lion by animalier author August Gaul By: August Gaul Material: terracotta Technique: hand...

Charming mid 19th Century French gilt bronze study of two rabbits standing in alert positions outside their burrow. The bronze exhibiting excellent han...

An impressive late 19th century French bronze study of a majestic bull with standing in a proud stance exhibiting excellent hand chased surface detail and fine rich brown patina. Rai...

"Lièvre au Repos" by Pierre Jules Mêne An entrancing mid 19th Century Animalier bronze study of an alert hare. The bronze exhibiting excellent hand chased surface detail and good ri...

A magnificent late 19th century French bronze study of a large bull in a proud stance, the bronze exhibiting excellent hand chased surface detail and fine rich brown patina. Raised o...

A very rare late 19th Century French Animalier bronze study of a standing ostrich, the detailed feathering chased with extremely fine precision, the flightless giant bird...

An excellent mid 19th Century French animalier bronze study of reclining panther with wonderful autumnal (green, orange, black and brown) patination and very intricate hand chased su...

Garniture of bronze figures, depicting a scene of hunters with an elephant with a dead tiger strapped securely on top of it, accompanied with one hunter and another at his side with ...

Excellent late 19th century animalier bronze study of a feeding reindeer with rich brown colour and very fine hand chased and etched surface detail, raised on a stepped naturalistic base, stamped with Peyrol Foundry mark and signed Isidore Bonheur Additional information Height: 16 cm Width: 22 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Foundry: Peyrol circa: 1880 Materials: Bronze SKU: 8211 DESCRIPTION Isidore Bonheur Isidore Bonheur, born in Bordeaux May 15 1827. Isidore was the third child of Christine Dorotheé Sophie Marquis (1797–1833), a musician, and Oscar-Raymond Bonheur (1796–1849) (a landscape and portrait painter and an early adherent of Saint-Simonianism, a Christian-socialist sect that promoted the education of women alongside men). Isidore was the brother of Auguste Bonheur...

Excellent quality and very rare mid 19th Century French Animalier bronze study of a seated griffon hound looking intently at two pigeons feeding beside him. The bronze with excellent...

"Guerrier du Caucase" by Antoine L Barye Excellent French bronze study of a mounted Caucasian Warrior in full armour, the bronze with excellent hand chased surface detail and rich green, brown, black and orange patination, signed BARYE. A fabulous example of this important sculpture in optimal condition. Additional Information Height: 20 cm Width: 17 cm Depth: 7 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Foundry: Atelier Barye circa: 1874 Materials: Bronze Book Ref BARYE Catalogue Raisonne des Sculptures by Michel Poletti – Alain Richarme Page no. 78 Description Antoine Louis Barye “The Michelangelo of the Menagerie” These are the words of Théophile Gautier in praise of Barye’s genius. Throughout his life Barye endeavoured to capture the fundamental nature of the animal kingdom in all its diversity, wild or tame, exotic or familiar, cruel or gentle, bringing to life the roaring, trembling, living beasts. The son of a goldsmith, apprenticed to a steel engraver at a young age, Barye found himself making moulds for ornaments, acquiring knowledge that he would later build on to produce his exquisitely chased bronzes. When he was called up at seventeen, he joined the army’s topographic brigade where he used clay to model raised relief maps...

Aqua Turquoise Majolica Turtle Clement Massier, circa 1890.

"Taureau Debout" by Rosa Bonheur. An excellent late 19th Century French animalier bronze study of a standing bull with fine hand chased surface that accentuates the muscle definition of the subject, signed Rosa B. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Measures: Width: 32 cm Height: 18 cm Depth: 11cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1870 Materials: Bronze Book reference: Animals in Bronze by Christopher Payne Page no. 174 DESCRIPTION Bonheur, Rosa (1822-1899) The most popular artist of nineteenth-century France, Rosa Bonheur was also one of the first renowned painters of animals and the first woman awarded the Grand Cross by the French Legion of Honor. A professional artist with a successful career, Bonheur lived in two consecutive committed relationships with women. Born on March 16, 1822 in Bordeaux, Marie Rosalie Bonheur was the oldest of the four children of Raimond Oscar Bonheur (1796-1849) and Sophie Marquis. Bonheur's father was an art teacher who came from a poor family, while her mother, a musician, had descended from a middle-class family and had been her husband's art student. Bonheur's father, who taught drawing and landscape painting, was an ardent member of the utopian Saint Simeon society. The group held idealistic beliefs about the reform of work, property, marriage, and the role of women in society. Most importantly, for the artist's future, the Saint Simeons questioned traditional gender norms and firmly believed in the equality of women. While teaching artistic techniques to his oldest daughter, Raimond Bonheur also encouraged her independence and taught her to consider art as a career. In 1828 Raimond Bonheur joined the Saint Simeons at their retreat outside Paris. Sophie and the children joined him in Paris the following year. Four years later, however, Raimond abandoned his family to live in isolation with his fellow Saint Simeons. Sophie Bonheur died in 1833 at the age of thirty-six. Rosa was only eleven years old when her mother died, but she was aware of the heavy price her mother paid for married life with a man who was more dedicated to his own ideals than to meeting his family's needs. Rosa also saw that her mother's marriage led to poverty and her death from exhaustion. After her mother's death, Bonheur was taken in by the Micas family who resided nearby. Mme Micas and Bonheur's mother had been friends. When Mme Bonheur died, the Micas family paid Raimond Bonheur's debts and cared for Rosa. Their daughther, Nathalie, who would later become an amateur inventor and unschooled veterinarian, and Rosa became enamored with each other. When Rosa Bonheur began her career as a professional artist, she had already been trained by her father who had allowed her to study in all male classes. Rosa also learned by sketching masterworks at the Louvre from the age of fourteen, and later, by studying with Léon Cogniet. From the very beginning, Bonheur's favorite subject was animals. She learned their anatomy completely by dissecting them in local slaughterhouses. She also visited the horse market two times a week. Study of animals by direct observation led to the formation of the realist style in which Bonheur worked. It was for such work that Bonheur obtained written permission from the French government to wear men's slacks. Her working attire also consisted of a loose smock and heavy boots that protected her feet from the dangerous environment in which she painted. The style of dress that the artist adopted for work and home may well have been influenced by her father's attire, which was based on St. Simeonian clothing experiments. Bonheur also cropped her hair, perhaps to facilitate her work. She did, however, always wear dresses for social occasions because she knew that appropriate dress would further her career. Bonheur earned a successful living as a painter of animals. She exhibited at the annual Paris Salon regularly from the age of nineteen in 1841 through 1853, when she was thirty-one. She won the salon's gold medal at the age of twenty-six in 1848 and was commissioned by the French government to paint Plowing on the Nivernais in 1849. In the same year Bonheur and her sister Juliette became directors of l'École gratuite de dessin pour les jeunes filles, a post their father had once held. Bonheur completed her most renowned work, The Horse Fair, in 1855. The successful representation of percherons (a breed native to Normandy) was purchased by Ernest Gambart, a London art dealer whose gallery specialized in work by French artists. He exhibited The Horse Fair in London where Bonheur visited with Nathalie. Queen Victoria requested a private viewing of the painting at Windsor Castle. It would later be purchased in 1887 by Cornelius Vanderbilt and donated to the new Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Bonheur's trip to England allowed her to meet Charles Eastlake, then President of the Royal Academy, John Ruskin, the English writer and critic, and Edwin Landseer, the British animalier. She also toured the English and Scottish countrysides and executed some paintings based on her observations of new breeds of animals found there. Gambart made engravings of Bonheur's work, including The Horse Fair, and sold them in England, Europe, and the United States. Bonheur became one of the most renowned painters of the time. Little girls, such as Anna Klumpke in the United States, even had dolls in her likeness, much as American girls played with Shirley Temple dolls...

This is a Bing and Grondahl porcelain of small happy bird figurine known as a sparrow. It’s wings are wide open and ready to fly up. At the base is t...

This is a P.J.Mene patinated bronze sculptures of a pair of hunting dogs. He is considered one of the pioneers of animals sculpture of the 19th century. The sculptures feature a hairy whippet dog standing with its frontal paws over an English Setter dog...

Intricate French gilt bronze work depicting lovebirds sharing a worm above a pearl egg nest upon a tree, while a cobra nestles at the tree base. The work is ...

A very fine Animalier bronze study of a feeding gazelle with her fawn reclining at her feet. The bronze with rich brown patina and excellent detail raised on a naturalistic base, signed Fratin and engraved with title to the fore ‘Gazelle’ Additional information Height: 10 cm Width: 17 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1860 Materials: Bronze Book reference: Bronzes of the 19th Century by Pierre Kjellberg SKU: 4934 ABOUT Christopher Fratin (1 January 1801 – 16 August 1864), also known as Christophe Fratin, was a noted French sculptor in the animalier style, and one of the earliest French sculptors to portray animals in bronze. Fratin was born in Metz, Moselle, France the son of a taxidermist. He first studied drawing under Pioche in Metz and later worked in Paris at the studio of Théodore Géricault. Work He exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1831–1842 and 1850–1862, as well as at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. Fratin never signed his bronzes but instead used a stamp showing his last name in straight block letters. One of the stamps he used (pictured) showed the "n" reversed, not by design but due to an error on the part of the maker of the stamp. Bronzes bearing this stamp have the appearance of not seeming to be genuine when in reality they are. Fratin received monumental commissions in France and elsewhere, including the Deux Aigles Gardant Leur Proie (Eagles and Prey, created 1850) displayed since 1863 in New York City's Central Park. Many of his small bronzes—including his miniature bronzes which were more affordable due to their smaller size—were sold commercially to the general public during his lifetime. Today, Fratin's sculpture is on permanent display in the Louvre, the city museums of Metz, Lyon, Strasbourg, Nîmes and at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. The Georg Eisler...

This is a heavy bronze group sculpture of two seabirds and a crab by Jules Moigniez. It depicts two seabirds in attack positions- stretching up their feathers and crouching their bod...

An excellent late 19th century English Animalier bronze study of a tried hunter in full tack taking a break with his neck turned and back leg rested. The bronze exhibiting very fine ...

Excellent late 19th Century French bronze figure of a walking stag with beautiful autumnal, green. black. brown and orange patination and excellent hand finished surface detail on an oval naturalistic base with integral stepped plinth, signed Barye and inscribed F Barbedienne Fondeur ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Measures: Height: 19 cm Width: 22 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1870 Foundry: F Barbedienne Materials: Bronze Book Ref Barye by Michel Poletti & Alain Richarme ABOUT Antoine Louis Barye “The Michelangelo of the Menagerie” These are the words of Théophile Gautier in praise of Barye’s genius. Throughout his life Barye endeavoured to capture the fundamental nature of the animal kingdom in all its diversity, wild or tame, exotic or familiar, cruel or gentle, bringing to life the roaring, trembling, living beasts. The son of a goldsmith, apprenticed to a steel engraver at a young age, Barye found himself making moulds for ornaments, acquiring knowledge that he would later build on to produce his exquisitely chased bronzes. When he was called up at seventeen, he joined the army’s topographic brigade where he used clay to model raised relief maps...

A wonderful mid 19th Century French Animalier bronze group entitled "Jument Arabe et Son Poulain No.3” by P J Mene - of a mare turning her head towards her playful foal; the bronze s...

A delightful late 19th century animalier bronze group of a family of resting deer including alert Stag and resting Doe & Faun. The subject modelled with wonderful intuition and skill. The surface has a rich green patination and excellent hand chased detail. Raised on a stepped bronze base, signed Barye and inscribed F Barbedienne Fondeur. Additional information Height: 22 cm Width: 25 cm Depth: 14 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Foundry: Barbedienne Circa: 1870 Materials: Bronze Book Ref BARYE Catalogue Raisonne des Sculptures by Michel Poletti – Alain Richarme Page no. 301 Description Antoine Louis Barye “The Michelangelo of the Menagerie” These are the words of Théophile Gautier in praise of Barye’s genius. Throughout his life Barye endeavoured to capture the fundamental nature of the animal kingdom in all its diversity, wild or tame, exotic or familiar, cruel or gentle, bringing to life the roaring, trembling, living beasts. The son of a goldsmith, apprenticed to a steel engraver at a young age, Barye found himself making moulds for ornaments, acquiring knowledge that he would later build on to produce his exquisitely chased bronzes. When he was called up at seventeen, he joined the army’s topographic brigade where he used clay to model raised relief maps...

Delightful late19th century French Animaliers bronze study of a turning whippet looking around in an attitude to play, with rich brown colour and fine hand chased surface detail. Sig...

Arab Water Carrier by Dieder Debut An excellent French late 19th Century Art Nouveau bronze, of a an Arab man Carrying two jugs, one on each arm. With good detail and a rich brown p...

Delightful mid 19th Century French Animaliers bronze study of a playful Greyhound and King Charles Spaniel, with rich brown rubbed to a golden colour and fine hand chased surface det...

Exquisite mid 19th century French bronze study of an anthropomorphic bear sitting on a barrel playing a violin, the barrel can be opened halfway to form a container. The surface with excellent mid to dark brown patina and very fine hand chased surface detail, signed Fratin and titled Le Père Odry Additional Information Height: 17.8 cm Width: 8.6 cm Depth: 7.2 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1845 Materials: Bronze Book reference: Bronzes of the 19th Century by Pierre Kjellberg About Le Père Odry Le Père Odry is a character in one of Balzac's novels, Unconscious Comedians which is one of the lesser known novels in the series La Comédie Humaine. The novel tells the story of a famous painter who takes his provincial cousin on a trip of Paris to open his eyes to what really goes on in the city behind the respectable façade. Le Père Odry appears in the novel as a dissolute actor. Christopher Fratin, French 1801 ~ 1864 also known as Christophe Fratin, was a noted French sculptor in the animalier style, and one of the earliest French sculptors to portray animals in bronze. Fratin was born in Metz, Moselle, France the son of a taxidermist. He first studied drawing under Pioche in Metz and later worked in Paris at the studio of Théodore Géricault. He exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1831–1842 and 1850–1862, as well as at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. Fratin never signed his bronzes but instead used a stamp showing his last name in straight block letters. One of the stamps he used (pictured) showed the "n" reversed, not by design but due to an error on the part of the maker of the stamp. Bronzes bearing this stamp have the appearance of not seeming to be genuine when in reality this foible is actually an indicator of authenticity. Fratin received monumental commissions in France and elsewhere, including the Deux Aigles Gardant Leur Proie (Eagles and Prey, created 1850) displayed since 1863 in New York City's Central Park. Many of his small bronzes—including his miniature bronzes which were more affordable due to their smaller size—were sold commercially to the general public during his lifetime. Today, Fratin's sculpture is on permanent display in the Louvre, the city museums of Metz, Lyon, Strasbourg, Nîmes and at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. The Georg Eisler...

Small Majolica white swan jardinière signed Jerome Massier Vallauris, circa 1890.

A fabulous late 19th Century animalier bronze group of two opposing polo players on their eager ponies going for the ball with excellent hand chased surface detail and good colour, raised on a stepped naturalistic base and signed I Bonheur Additional Information Height: 32 cm Width: 67 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1880 Materials: Bronze About Isidore Bonheur Isidore Bonheur, born in Bordeaux May 15 1827. Isidore was the third child of Christine Dorotheé Sophie Marquis (1797–1833), a musician, and Oscar-Raymond Bonheur (1796–1849) (a landscape and portrait painter and an early adherent of Saint-Simonianism, a Christian-socialist sect that promoted the education of women alongside men). Isidore was the brother of Auguste Bonheur...

Wonderful 19th Century animalier bronze group of a standing ewe with her feeding lamb beneath her, the bronze with excellent rich brown patina and very fine hand chased surface detai...

Elegant Majolica vase with a flamingo in front of leaves vase signed Delphin Massier, circa 1890. The Massier are known for the quality of their unique enamels and paintings. The Ma...

A very fine French Animaliers bronze study of a stallion standing behind a post and rail fence exhibiting excellent hand finished surface detail and good...

19th century Art Nouveau silvered bronze sculpture of female hen by A. Grevin & F. Beer. Women Dressed as a Hen, she has a basket of eggs. On circular base incised " A. Grevin et Be...

Antique bronze inkwell in the shape of a bear's head with glass eyes. The sculpture is mounted on a red marble base and has a glass container. ...

Elegant and rare Majolica stork with a bamboo vase signed Delphin Massier, circa 1890. The Massier are known for the quality of their unique enamels an...

Classic decorative bronze by Josue Dupon. Classically trained, his work can be found throughout Belgium. Antwerp Zoo and other major installations. This unique work is from the period of 1896, Dupon was a contemporary of Carlos Bugatti who also was known for this style: realism and interpretations of the modern wild animals. Beautiful signature, stunning rendering and amazing quality. The posture of the male lion is very realistic, extremely life-like casting. This is where you see the connection from the Art Nouveau period and how it later became a very common direction also associated with the Art Deco period. Josuë Dupon (also Josué or Josue Dupon) was a Flemish sculptor and engraver. He received his education through the National Higher Institute for Fine Arts (1887). After his studies he first worked in the studio of sculptor Clément Carbon in Roeselare. He was good friends with sculptor Jules Lagae. In 1891 he won a gold medal with the monumental sculpture group Samson killing the lion and he became second in the Romeprijs for sculpture. From 1905-1934 he was a teacher of sculpture at the Antwerp Academy. Dupon was best known as a sculptor of realistic images of exotic animals. The placement of his Camemberter and two bronze groups at the entrance of the Antwerp Zoo confirmed that reputation. He also made busts, war memorials (Ichtegem, Berchem, Hoogstraten, Roeselare) and public monuments, such as the equestrian statue of Constant Lievens in Moorslede (unveiled in 1929). The statue Man...