Andrew Nethercott Antiques has dated this piece to the 1890s.
Length 8,3/4" or 223mm
weight 452 grams.
This emotional carving is modeled after the original stone sculpture designed by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorwaldsen and executed by Lukas Ahorn in 1821 in Lucerne.
It commemorates the Swiss Guard in Paris who fell in 1792 protecting the French Royal Family at the Tuileries palace in Paris.
Swiss Guards had been used by the French monarchy since the 17th century and were highly prized for their loyalty and unfailing dedication to their service. On 10th August 1792 over seven hundred guards were killed, with further deaths taking place during the September Massacres a month later.
Karl Pfyffer von Altishofen, an Officer of the Guards who happened to be on leave in Lucerne during the atrocities, took it upon himself to raise funds to commision and erect a monument in honour of his fallen comrades.
“Helvetiorum Fidei Ac Virtuti” translates to mean, “To the Loyalty and Bravery of the Swiss.”
The lion with his head resting on a shield bearing the Fleur-de-Lis, an unmistakeable representation of the French Crown, even in death the lion protects the monarchy.
Andrew Nethercott Antiques has dated this piece to the 1890s.
Works of art, collectables, scientific and decorative antiques from the 17th - 20th century
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Swiss Black Forest Lion of Lucerne Walnut Carving Grand Tour Souvenir
