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French Napoleonic Revival Gilt Bronze Armorial Dolphin Finial on Marble Base

$1,000

$1,25020% Off

£755.16

£943.9520% Off

€864.59

€1,080.7420% Off

CA$1,412.26

CA$1,765.3320% Off

A$1,541.85

A$1,927.3120% Off

CHF 808.33

CHF 1,010.4120% Off

MX$18,726.38

MX$23,407.9720% Off

NOK 10,094.72

NOK 12,618.4020% Off

SEK 9,532.11

SEK 11,915.1420% Off

DKK 6,453.23

DKK 8,066.5420% Off

About the Item

A sculptural bronze and marble object of symbolic and decorative intent, this French piece from the late 19th century is cast in the Napoleonic Revival style and takes the form of a heraldic finial or mount, possibly once crowning a presentation box, armorial cabinet, or other ceremonial furnishing. The design features a pair of stylized dolphins, modeled in the classical manner with muscular, scaled bodies and expressive baroque faces, their tails dramatically coiled upward in a mirrored spiral. At the apex of this entwined form, the dolphins support a central bronze orb surmounted by a fleur-de-lis—an emblem historically associated with French monarchy, divine right, and authority. The entire ensemble is mounted on a smoothly polished oval plinth of white marble, providing both visual contrast and weight to stabilize the sculptural composition. The symbolism is multilayered: dolphins, since antiquity, have connoted protection, swiftness, and naval prowess, while the orb and fleur-de-lis elevate the piece into the realm of state power, dynastic identity, or courtly heraldry. Within the Napoleonic and Second Empire vocabulary, such a configuration would have signified maritime imperialism and legitimacy, possibly alluding to the imperial globe (“globus cruciger”) adapted to a French idiom through the fleur-de-lis. Its scale—5.25 inches wide by 3.375 inches deep and 5 inches high—suggests it was not merely decorative but functional, perhaps serving as the finial to a reliquary box, ceremonial inkstand, or as a central cartouche on a larger architectural element.

Dimensions:

Height: 5 in (12.7 cm)Width: 5.25 in (13.34 cm)Depth: 3.375 in (8.58 cm)

Style:

Napoleon III (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Bronze,Marble

Place of Origin:

France

Period:

19th Century

Date of Manufacture:

19th century

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. Minor wear commensurate with age and use including gilt loss to surface.

Seller Location:

Atlanta, GA

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU7838246147122

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