Pair of Louis XV style chased and gilt bronze "chien et chat - Lot 97

Pair of Louis XV style chased and gilt bronze "chien et chat" andirons after a model by Jacques Caffiéri. Paris. Second half of the 19th century. Height of the dog: 41 cm. Height of cat: 39 cm. This beautiful pair of 19th-century antique andirons was made in gilded bronze, based on the "Dog and Cat" statuette model by Jacques Caffieri (1678-1755), a court bronzemaker commissioned by Cardinal Mazarin. A copy of this group belonged to the Prince de Condé. Jacques Caffieri was one of the most famous bronzemakers of the reign of Louis XV. A sculptor and foundry-cutter, he created numerous models. His son Philippe Caffieri (1714-1774) became his partner in 1747; like his father, he enjoyed great success as a bronzemaker working mainly in the neoclassical style. The Caffieri family, a dynasty of sculptors and bronzemakers of Italian origin, were closely associated with the French court. Jacques' father, Philippe Caffieri (1634-1716), left Naples for France at the request of Cardinal Mazarin, and subsequently became the King's sculptor. Jacques, his tenth child, was admitted to the Académie de Saint-Luc as a sculptor, and before 1715 he was a master foundryman and chaser. By 1736, he was working for the king. Appointed "fondeur-ciseleur des bâtiments du roi", he worked on the palaces of Fontainebleau, Versailles, Choisy and Marly. Among his royal commissions are a large astronomical clock with movement by Dauthiau, based on a model by C.-S. Passement, now at Versailles, and two large Rocaille chandeliers in gilded bronze, now in the Wallace Collection in London. He also made furniture mounts, including those for a commode made in 1739 by A.-R. Gaudreau for Louis XV's bedroom in Versailles (now in the Wallace Collection). Caffieri's work can be found in the world's most important museums and collections. Expert: Stéphane Pépe