Bronze eagle statue on cut crystal base, c. 19th century
550 USD
The imperial eagle originated with Napoleon I, who in 1804 decreed it the primary symbol of the new Empire, modeled after Roman legionary standards and rendered in gilded bronze. These eagles crowned regimental flagstaffs and served as potent reminders of loyalty and valor. Under Napoleon III, the tradition was deliberately resurrected to reaffirm lineage and legitimacy, resulting in a new generation of bronze eagles—sleeker, lighter, and often produced with advanced casting techniques of the period.
This particular sculpture embodies that revivalist spirit: compact, elegantly modeled, and richly gilded, with the warm patina of age enhancing its sculptural detail. Resting on a faceted crystal base that catches and fractures the light, the eagle appears both regal and dynamic—its wings subtly poised, its stance confident, its presence unmistakably imperial.
In remarkably good condition, the object stands as a distilled symbol of French ambition and aesthetic refinement: a small but resonant relic of an empire that shaped the visual language of power across two centuries.
Bronze eagle statue on cut crystal base, c. 19th century
550 USD
The imperial eagle originated with Napoleon I, who in 1804 decreed it the primary symbol of the new Empire, modeled after Roman legionary standards and rendered in gilded bronze. These eagles crowned regimental flagstaffs and served as potent reminders of loyalty and valor. Under Napoleon III, the tradition was deliberately resurrected to reaffirm lineage and legitimacy, resulting in a new generation of bronze eagles—sleeker, lighter, and often produced with advanced casting techniques of the period.
This particular sculpture embodies that revivalist spirit: compact, elegantly modeled, and richly gilded, with the warm patina of age enhancing its sculptural detail. Resting on a faceted crystal base that catches and fractures the light, the eagle appears both regal and dynamic—its wings subtly poised, its stance confident, its presence unmistakably imperial.
In remarkably good condition, the object stands as a distilled symbol of French ambition and aesthetic refinement: a small but resonant relic of an empire that shaped the visual language of power across two centuries.
A refined example of Second Empire decorative art, this 19th-century gilt bronze eagle—poised atop a cut crystal plinth—channels the enduring imperial symbolism of the Napoleonic dynasty. Crafted in the Napoleon III period (1852–1870), the piece reflects the era’s revival of Napoleonic iconography, when the eagle once again became a central emblem of state power, military pride, and historical continuity.
Gilded Bronze and Crystal
Fontainbleau
At the turn of the 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte sought more than military conquest—he sought a visual language equal to his imperial ambitions. Enter Charles Percier and Pierre François Léonard Fontaine, architects whose mastery of antiquity and modern invention birthed Empire Style: an aesthetic of symmetry and splendor, where eagles and sphinxes, bees and laurel wreaths, proclaimed the grandeur of a new Rome. Together, they transformed palaces (like that of Fontainebleau and Malmaison), interiors, and even furniture into instruments of power, their designs as theatrical as they were enduring.
As we mark ten years of Jacques Marie Mage, we return to where it all began: the nascent sparks, the first bold forms, the foundational silhouettes that set our course. With Origins, the inaugural offering from Réserve by JMM, we invite you to rediscover the earliest expressions of our ethos—limited-edition spectacles from the first season of the Circa Collection, which consisted of exactly four styles: the Dealan, Zephirin, Hatfield, And Fountainebleau.
Each Reserve collectible is thoughtfully custom-packaged to Jacques Marie Mage standards, with tailored care to each artifact. Each collectible is accompanied by a JMM Certificate of Authenticity and ID card.
