Morillos Napoleon III. Empire style. France, second half of the 19th century.

Morillos Napoleon III. Empire style. France, second half of the 19th century.
Gilded bronze and patinated bronze.
Measurements: 66 x 127 x 173 cm.
Napoleon III and Empire style chimney-pieces, made in bronze, with a gilded base and patinated round sculptures, looking for a studied chromatic and textural contrast of great decorative value. The base, inspired by the classical plinth, is richly decorated with acanthus leaves and lion masks, both worked in relief. The graceful, curly-haired putti at the top of the structure hold musical instruments and look at each other in silent dialogue. One is about to play a tambourine, the other points to his chest with a spontaneous gesture, and next to him rests a lute and cymbals. On either side, they are accompanied by a satyr bust with an expressive countenance seated on a stipe-shaped pedestal. Trophies with Greco-Roman-inspired instruments decorate the central projection of the base. The morillos, used as a stand or support for the wood in the fireplace to facilitate combustion, were utilitarian objects that in noble and royal residences came to take on extremely ornate forms, as in the present case. Baroque and historicist elements coexist in the Empire style, as can be seen in these elegant morillos.