A Pair of Neoclassical Gilt Bronze-Mounted Ostrich Eggs, Probably Circa 1825

Ostrich eggs have long been a source of fascination because of their size, translucence and association with exotic fauna, and from at least the sixteenth century they have formed part of natural history collections and cabinets of curiosities, often embellished with silver or silver-gilt mounts commissioned from preeminent goldsmiths.

In eighteenth century Paris a limited but important trend developed of painting ostrich eggs, often with Chinoiserie or pastoral scenes, and mounting them in gilt bronze. The rare surviving examples are generally signed or attributed to the Lebel family of artists, including one of a pair offered by Madame Adélaïde to her father Louis XV on rosewood and ivory stands that she had turned herself, and still at Versailles. Another example was in the collection of George Blumenthal, mounted on a tripod ram's head stand attributed to Pierre Gouthière, and is now in the Detroit Institute of Arts. Other painted eggs were recorded in the early 20th century in the Sigismond Bardac and Veil Picard collections in France, and a further pair decorated with Chinese scenes on gilt bronze mounts was offered Sotheby's New York, 6 November 2008, lot 91.