EMPIRE PERIOD WRITING KIT

A gilt bronze writing set, veneered in ash burl and rosewood, featuring a central potpourri dish supported by two swans with outstretched wings. The dish is flanked by an inkwell and a powder box decorated with crosshatching. The lids, exquisitely chased with openwork floral motifs, are surmounted by dolphin-shaped finials. The set rests on a rectangular base with a recessed pen holder. The front and sides are adorned with bas-reliefs of swans, a crown, and palmettes arranged in a frieze. The inkwell opens with a drawer running the entire length of the base. It rests on four disc feet. The chasing is of very fine workmanship. Under the Empire, bronzes are remarkable for the ingenious symmetry of their composition, the clarity of their lines, the effect produced by the combination of gilded and patinated bronze, but above all for their chasing, of which Thomire is one of the undisputed masters. Virtually all bronze motifs are borrowed from the ancient Greco-Roman or Egyptian repertoire. A multitude of elements are gathered from altars, tombs, the wall decorations of Pompeii, and even Roman metalwork, such as antique heads, cornucopias, Jupiter's thunderbolt, Neptune's trident, Mercury's caduceus, Bacchus's thyrsus, helmets, crowns, lamps, kraters, amphorae, winged torches, and musical instruments. To these motifs should also be added the emblems of Victory, War, and the Empire, as well as those of the animal world, notably the swan and the eagle, which were very popular. Empire period, circa 1810. Dimensions: W: 30cm, D: 16cm, H: 22cm.