PROBABLEMENT ITALIE, XVIIIE OU XIXE SIÈCLE
Éléphant
serpentine, sur un support postérieur en bois couvert de velours rouge
H. 23 cm (9 in.), H. totale : 28 cm (11 in.)

Probablement Eugène Schneider (1868-1942) et son épouse Antoinette de Rafélis Saint-Sauveur (1875-1969), dans leur hôtel du 34 cours Albert Ier, Paris ;
Puis par descendance à leur fille May Schneider (1902-1999), épouse de Pierre de Cossé-Brissac, 12^e duc de Brissac (1900-1993) ;
Puis par descendance leur fille Marie-Pierre de Cossé-Brissac (1925-2024), Paris.

A SERPENTINE ELEPHANT, PROBABLY ITALIAN, 18TH OR 19TH CENTURY

This sinuous elephant embodies the fascination with hardstone objects that graced the homes of collectors from the 17th through the early 19th century. This trend can be traced in several renowned collections, such as that of the Duke of Aumont, which marked the height of this fashion. At his 1782 estate sale, many prestigious buyers—among them Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette—acquired such pieces in large numbers. These hardstone objects were primarily created in Italian workshops, using either repurposed antique stone or modern stone sourced from quarries in Italy and beyond. This market was supported by the rise of the Grand Tour in Italy, when cultivated travelers acquired numerous items whose models were often inspired by classical sculpture. The creation of the Sala degli Animali (Hall of Animals) in the Vatican Museums under Pope Pius VI (1775–1799) further reflects the vogue for sculpted animals dating back to antiquity -elephants being a frequent motif, especially on sarcophagi with Bacchic iconography.

The most famous elephant in Italy at the time was the one conceived by sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini at the request of Pope Alexander VII (1655–1667), serving as the base for an obelisk in the Piazza Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. Depicted standing, its head turned and its trunk pointing toward the arms of the Pope’s family—the Chigi—this elephant may have served as a model for the sculptor of our version. This reduction is more naturalistic, as the sculptor did not have to accommodate the weight of an obelisk, which had forced Bernini to compress the animal’s legs and add a structure resembling a howdah or palanquin on its back. Potential buyers of such objects would likely have understood the reference to Bernini and, more broadly, to Rome itself. The sculpture became one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, as evidenced by contemporary guidebooks. Dominique Magnan, in his guide La ville de Rome ou Description abrégée de cette superbe ville (published in 1778), describes Bernini’s work as follows: “An Egyptian obelisk, erected in 1667 by Alexander VII under the direction of Bernini, who placed it on the back of a marble elephant, sculpted by Ferrata […] The elephant bearing it stands on a pedestal and is of a very fine proportion relative to the obelisk.”

The prestigious provenance of this rare pachyderm evokes the refined taste of two important families: the Schneiders and the Cossé-Brissacs. Founded in 1836 by brothers Adolphe and Eugène Schneider in Le Creusot, the Schneider company initially specialized in mining and steel production before expanding into an international industrial group. The Parisian townhouse known as the Hôtel de La Ferronnays, purchased in 1900 by Eugène II Schneider (1868–1942) at 34 Cours Albert Ier, was built in the mid-19th century. The building, now home to the Brazilian Embassy, was later renovated by the architect Ernest Sanson. In addition to the Château de la Verrerie in Le Creusot, the family also owned the Château d’Apremont, inherited from the family of Eugène’s wife, Antoinette de Rafélis de Saint-Sauveur.
The elephant later entered the collection of their daughter Marie-Zélie, known as May (1902–1999), who married Pierre de Cossé, 12th Duke of Brissac (1900–1993). The couple lived in Paris and also at their château in La Celle-les-Bordes in the Yvelines, inherited from the Duchess of Uzès, Pierre de Cossé-Brissac’s grandmother. The château’s interior decoration was immortalized in watercolors by Alexandre Serebriakoff. Their daughter, Marie-Pierre de Cossé-Brissac (1925–2024), a philosopher and writer, later inherited the sculpture.