This auction has ended. View lot details
You may also be interested in





A pair of Louis XV ormolu and patinated bronze models of seated lion presse-papiersMid-18th century
Sold for £7,040 inc. premium
Looking for a similar item?
Our Private & Iconic Collections and House Sales specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistA pair of Louis XV ormolu and patinated bronze models of seated lion presse-papiers
Their front paws resting on cartouches forming part of the rocaille and acanthus cast scrolling bases, the undersides with mounted fixed plates, serving as presse-papiers, 17.5cm wide, 10cm deep, 19cm high (6 1/2in wide, 3 1/2in deep, 7in high) (2)
Footnotes
Provenance
B. Fabre & Fils, Paris, 26 February 1996.
These rare models of presse-papiers, also called plaques à papiers, were sought after under Louis XV's reign. Often depicting naturalistic noble animals caught in movement, the bases were particularly heavy, cast with acanthus scrolls and other rocaille motifs, and had a flat bottom screwed to the upper section in order to lie flat on a pile of papers.
An identical pair to the present lot sold Christie's, Paris, 16 December 2008, lot 136. A related model, but depicting a raging lion and a lioness respectively, branded with a 'C' couronné poinçon were sold by Etude Tajan, Drouot-Georges V, Paris, 5 December 1989, and illustrated in the Drouot 1990 review, l'art et les enchères, published by Connaissance des Arts, p.257. Another pair with ormolu reclining lions and globes was sold Christie's London, The Collector Sale, 13 November 2019, lot 3. A related pair of lions presse-papiers is conserved at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (inv. 27174 A -B).
























