Pair Of Andirons In Gilt Bronze

Pair of gilt bronze andirons representing fire pots. Each of them are framed by handles in the shape of satyrs holding garlands of flowers which rests on a base with asparagus twisted flutes. The crossbar presents a frieze with motifs of children emerging from acanthus foliage, framing a warrior trophy with helmet and quiver. The rear part represents a fluted column topped with a pine cone. Louis XVI period Usual restorations H. 42.5 x W42.5 x D. 17 cm Our pair of andirons presents a pot-à-feu whose treatment is to be compared to the work of the bronzier Philippe Caffieri, to whom we attributes the original model of cassolette flanked by two satyrs supporting garlands of flowers. Philippe Caffieri was born in 1714 in Paris where he died in 1774. He went into partnership in 1747 with his father Jacques Caffieri. The latter enjoyed a great reputation which is still evident in our eyes by the famous Passemant clock. Philippe Caffieri was received as a master in 1754 and took over the workshop from his father the following year. He gradually abandons the rock forms to turn to the lines of neo-classicism of which he is one of the pioneers. He is indeed the craftsman-bronzier of the office of Lallive de July, which marks the first break with rockery. His work was so famous that when he died, his drawings and models were sold at public auction and bought by a number of bronziers, who contributed to divulging his work, whose genius they thus attested. The central body of the andirons is decorated with motifs of children coming out of acanthus scrolls which are taken from drawings by Jean-François Forty and executed by Turpin in 1785 for the Queen's noble salon in Versailles which has it today (No. V5199.1; V5199.2).