Christophe Fratin 1800 - 1864 "Ours et Éléphant", a pair of brown patinated bronze tazze Paris, mid-19th century

each signed FRATIN and raised on black marble molded bases

overall in good original condition with the usual light scratches to surface and ware to patina consistent with age and touching
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Along with Antoine-Louis Bayre and Pierre-Jules Mene, Fratin was one of the leading animalier sculptors working in Paris from the 1830's onwards. Fratin, who studied under Theodore Gericault, won a medal at the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London and was patronized by the French state, the Duc d'Orléans, the King of Prussia, the Emperor of Russia, and the American metal manufacturer Gordon Webster Burnham, who donated the monumental sculpture Eagles and Prey (1850) to Central Park in New York in 1863, which remains there today. The Central Park Conservancy notes that it is the oldest known sculpture in any city park. Examples of Fratin's work can be found most notably in the collections of the Louvre, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art, and the Wallace Collection.