Lot 1818 Dα

Sphinx designs were extremely popular in France, not only during the ancien régime, but also during the time of Napoleon. Ottomeyer/Pröschel depict numerous andirons with this motif, including models by Pierre-Philippe Thomire and Pierre Gouthière. The novel " Séthos, Histoire Ou Vie Tirée Des Monumens Anecdotes De L'Ancienne Égypte" by Abbé Jean Terrasson, published in Amsterdam in 1732, already contributed to the popularity of Egyptian motifs. Enthusiasm for the country and its mysterious cultural assets was further fuelled by the first detailed travelogues, such as those of the Comte de Volney, "Voyage en Égypte et en Syrie", which he published from 1787. For Napoléon, Egypt was not only economically interesting - it was also the dream destination of his childhood.