French Regence Louis XV Ormolu Bronze Chenets ( Andirons )
Our pair of ormolu bronze chenets in the Regence style of circa 1720 feature the figures of lovely females with lion paws and tail. Each 16.5 by 11 by 7 inches. Each in good condition. There is oxidation and rubbing wear and areas of patina loss, scratches, nicks, scuffs and such, all consistent with age and good care. Please note the damage to the cheek and nose of the figure on the right.
For an identical pair of Regence period chenets, see our photo here of lot 103 of Sotheby's sale in New York of Property from the Estate of Lucia Moreira Salles on November 23, 2009, which were offered with an estimate of $7,000-$10,000 and closed at $28,125. That pair came from the collection of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, sold by Sotheby's Parke Bernet on May 5, 1984 in lot 134, and documented in The Wrightsman Collection, Volume II, Greenwich, 1966, p. 370, no. 187. A pair of this model are included in Vergoldete Bronzen, Band I, Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel, Munich, 1986, p. 72, fig. 1.10.15. (Lucia was a famous Brazilian fashion model known for her associations with Valentino and Coco Chanel. She married the Brazilian politician and banker, Walter Moreira Salles.)
