16th Century French Renaissance Fireback

A very fine sculpture at the juncture of function and design with animated royal greyhounds, fertility figure, pomegranates and cornucopia. A very similar example is displayed in the Chalons in Champagne Museum and is dated 1581.
Reminiscent of the Italian 1400's sophisticated relief tradition of Della Robbia and Pisanello and at one time it had been placed in the fireplace of a massive Chateau in France. At the center is the coat of Arms of the House of Bourbon from France, one of the major royal dynasties of Europe that produced monarchs Spain (Navarre) France, the two Sicilies and Parma. Bourbon kings ruled France from 1589 until the French Revolution and even short periods thereafter. The right half of the coat of arms consists of 3 lilies of French royalty and the left half is the weapon of Navarre. This combination of coats of arms can still be seen in the fireplaces and decorations of Versailles. Provenance: From a chateau in the South of France.