Antique Swiss Guard Bronze Lion Bookends Bookends c.1920

Details

Description

ABOUT

Solid bronze Lion of Lucerne bookends featuring an engraved Latin inscription "Helvetiorum Fidei AC Virtuti". The inscription translates to … Read more ABOUT

Solid bronze Lion of Lucerne bookends featuring an engraved Latin inscription "Helvetiorum Fidei AC Virtuti". The inscription translates to "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss," honoring the Swiss Guards who died during the French Revolution.

CREATOR Attributed to Jennings Brothers Mfg. Co.
DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1920-1930.
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Bronze, Felt.
CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use.
DIMENSIONS H 5.25 in. W 7.25 in. D 3 in.

HISTORY

In the 1920s, Jennings Brothers added a line of high-quality bookends to their manufacturing operations and produced some of the most finely crafted art metal pieces throughout the 1920s and 1930s. JB’s timely and expensive production techniques relied on the talent and handwork of expert artists, sculptors and metal craftsmen. This did not lend itself to machine-directed mass-production, and hiring such talent became an economic burden that threatened the company’s survival. By the early 1940s, JB changed their manufacturing operations to focus on the War effort.

All of JB pieces are made of cast gray metal. Even though many pieces are done by famous artists, most are not directly artist signed. All are marked with the letters JB. There is no other manufacturer whose finishing techniques remain as durable as Jennings Brothers. JB bookends and animal figurines are highly prized by collectors worldwide. See less