with a covered vase topped by a fruit and with satyr's head handles on a base with a war trophy and oak leaves; with their irons

- Almost certainly Collection Louis-Marie-Augustin Duc d'Aumont (1709-1782), hôtel d'Aumont now hôtel de Crillon place de la Concorde, Paris ; thence his sale in his hôtel, 12 December 1782, lot 363
- Sale Ader, Palais Galliera, 11 June 1965, lot 21 (illustrated)
- Private Collection

Louis-Marie-Augustin d'Aumont (1709-1782), succeeded as 5th Duc d'Aumont in 1723 and in the same year took up his family's hereditary position as premier Gentilhomme de la chambre du Roi. This position included the supervision of the Menus-Plaisirs who were responsible for commissioning Royal gifts and for supplying articles for the royal wardrobe. The Duc d'Aumont was responsible for appointing artists and craftsmen to the Menus-Plaisirs and appointed François-Joseph Bélanger (1744-1818) and Pierre Gouthière. Together they were both involved with the creation of many important pieces which included the famous jewel cabinet, now lost, but completed in 1769, to contain Marie Antoinette's wedding presents. The Duc extended these ateliers in 1770 to include the production of bronzes d'ameublement and works of art, particularly those made of marble and precious hard stones. He gathered an important art collection in his Hôtels particuliers, the Hôtel de Mailly and then in his own Hôtel place Louis XV from 1776 to his death.

The catalogue printed for the auction of the Duc's property, on 12 December 1782, lists four pairs of andirons, one of which under lot no. 363 seems similar to our pair: 'Un autre Feu à Vase, orné de mascarons et de Faune, de bandeau à entrelacs à jour & de guirlandes de rose, posé sur un piédestal rond, garni sur la face d'un casque entouré de branches de chêne avec socle à moulures ouvragées, & recouvrement à deux parties cintrées à carré à rosettes & à gaînes, avec grille, pelle, pincettes et tenailles' (Another Fire Vase, decorated with grotesque masks and Fauna, band with open interlacings and rose garlands, atop round pedestal, enhanced on the front with a helmet surrounded by oak branches with molded plinth with elaborations, & recovered on two arched square parts with rosettes & gain supports, with screen, shovel, pokers and tongs). This lot was sold to the dealer Payant for 399 livres. The andirons only reappeared in 1965, at an auction held by Maître Ader, Palais Galliera, on 11 June 1965, lot 21.

We are pleased to thank Mrs. Sylvia Vriz who confirms that this pair of chenets will be in the catalogue raisonné of the Duc d'Aumont's Collection.