French Empire Bronze Mount of an Eagle Subduing a Serpent, Desmalter / Thomire

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French Empire Bronze Mount of an Eagle Subduing a Serpent, circa 1800–1820

School or Workshop Jacob-Desmalter/Thomire

A finely cast French … Read more French Empire Bronze Mount of an Eagle Subduing a Serpent, circa 1800–1820

School or Workshop Jacob-Desmalter/Thomire

A finely cast French Empire bronze mount depicting Napoleon’s Imperial Eagle, wings spread and talons gripping a rocky plinth, while seizing a serpent in its beak. This bold allegorical design, with deeply chased featherwork and a dynamic pose, reflects the visual language of the Napoleonic Empire, where the eagle symbolized imperial authority and the serpent represented the enemies of order and civilization.

The eagle rests on a stylized rocky mound, a plinth-like base commonly found in Empire ornament that may recall ancient Roman military trophies. In its compressed form, this base sometimes reads as a basket, but its intended meaning was that of a perch or rocky outcrop—a symbol of strength and permanence for the imperial standard.

Cast in solid bronze, the mount shows remnants of its original gilding on the reverse, with a rich patina of age across the front. Mounting holes indicate it was once affixed to furniture, a military chest, or an architectural fitting.

Dimensions: 4.5" H x 4.25" W x 0.75" D

Comparable examples of eagle mounts appear on Empire furniture designed by Percier & Fontaine and produced in the Paris workshops of Jacob-Desmalter and Thomire, underscoring the refinement of this fragment.

A striking Napoleonic bronze emblem, resonant with martial symbolism and perfectly scaled for collectors of Empire decorative arts. See less