MID-18TH CENTURY, PROBABLY NORTH ITALIAN OR SOUTH GERMAN

The form and motifs depicted on this pair of chenets are reminiscent of the oeuvre of Charles Cressent, and a similar pair was produced by Cressent in 1730 (A. Pradère, Charles Cressent, Dijon, 2003, p. 206). While the pair of chenets by Cressent include flared plinths, each centred by a cartouche, these chenets are of one continuous and fluid form. One is modelled as a 'seahorse' and the other a lion, each surrounded by a shell and rocaille motif and emerging from flames. Both this pair and the Cressent pair hold aloft a salamander and phoenix emerging from flames. The salamander and phoenix are emblematic of fire and an appropriate decorative theme for chenets. It was believed the phoenix would die in flames and be reborn from its own ashes, while the salamander could live within fire and had the power to extinguish its flames. The salamander is hence fire in animal form, one of the four elements.