Animalier Antiques: Symbolic Ornament and Natural Form

72 products

72 products
19th century Meiji period silvered bronze eagle sculpture with 110cm wingspan suspended by chains from Nicholas Wells Antiques
Suspended 19th century Japanese Meiji silvered bronze eagle by Nicholas Wells Antiques with wings spread wide in flight
19th Century Japanese Meiji Period Silvered Bronze Eagle
Nicholas Wells Antiques
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Regency Convex Mirror with a Black Eagle featuring gilt frame, crystal candle arms, and acanthus volutes, circa 1810.
Regency Convex Mirror with a Black Eagle
Collection CK40
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Rare gold plate Dunhill ‘Aquarium’ table lighter by Nicholas Wells Antiques featuring horse racing scene
Rare Nicholas Wells Antiques Dunhill Aquarium gold plate table lighter with detailed horse racing scene
Nicholas Nickleby Ascot 1955 Winner Dunhill ‘Aquarium’ Lighter
Nicholas Wells Antiques
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19th century Anglo Indian carved ebony elephant group with mahouts and monkey on tree by Nicholas Wells Antiques
Indian Ebony Carved Group
Nicholas Wells Antiques
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Indian shamshir with Lucknow enamel hilt
Nicholas Wells Antiques
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Pair of Neo-Classical Twin Branch Wall Lights
Nicholas Wells Antiques
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16th Century Italian Florentine giltwood frame with intricate carvings from Collection EE20 vintage decor
16th Century Italian Florentine Giltwood Frame
Collection EE20
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Early Georgian wing chair frame by Collection EE30, circa 1720, showcasing elegant timber craftsmanship and classic design.
Early Georgian wing chair frame by Collection EE30 with elegant cabriole legs and authentic eighteenth-century craftsmanship
Early Georgian Wing Chair Frame
Collection EE30
19th Century Rectangular French Empire Gilt Frame Mirror with anthemions lyres oak leaves acorns ornate design
19th Century Rectangular French Empire Gilt Frame Mirror with ornate anthemions, lyres, and oak leaf details.
19th Century Rectangular French Empire Gilt Frame Mirror
Collection EE30
Pair of Salt Glazed Eagles with open wings and opposing heads, 19th century English pottery, circa 1880.
Salt Glazed Eagles close-up of 19th century pottery eagle head with incised decorated wings and open beak.
Salt Glazed Eagles
Collection NE10
Victorian Grotto Specimen Mineral Diorama
Collection EE20
A pair of 17th century Italian gilt bronze baroque picture frames by Nicholas Wells Antiques with ornate scroll details
A pair of 17th Century Gilt Bronze picture frames
Nicholas Wells Antiques
German early 20th century solid silver hawk sculpture with glass eyes on wooden perch by Collection CK20.
German early 20th century solid silver perched hawk sculpture by Collection CK20 with glass eyes on wooden post
German Early 20th Century Solid Silver Perched Hawk
Collection CK20
Antique Bronze Statue of Zeus riding an Eagle, 19th century French sculpture, 40cm tall on decorative base.
Antique Bronze Statue of Zeus riding an Eagle, detailed 19th-century bronze sculpture of Zeus with textured hair and beard.
Antique Bronze Statue of Zeus riding an Eagle
Collection CK40
Pair of Stone ENCRUSTED PICTURE FRAMES
Collection EE20
Pair of large Bohemian red over clear engraved glass vases with deer motif from Nicholas Wells Antiques
Close-up of engraved stag and deer on red over clear Bohemian glass vase by Nicholas Wells Antiques
Bohemian Glass Red over Clear Engraved Vases | Pair
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Rare Early 19th Century Regency Octagonal Convex Mirror with giltwood frame, eagle, crocodiles, and serpents carvings.
Rare Early 19th Century Regency Octagonal Convex Mirror with giltwood frame and intricate carved details.
Rare Early 19th Century Regency Octagonal Convex Mirror
Collection PK10
Pair Vallauris ceramic wall lights with ornate female figure design by Collection ES10, circa 1950 French origin
Pair Vallauris ceramic wall light by Collection ES10 featuring a vintage French design from 1950 with two candle holders
Pair Vallauris Ceramic Wall Lights
Collection ES10
Japanese bronze stag sculpture from the Showa period by Collection TH10, showcasing refined mid-20th-century craftsmanship
Japanese bronze sculpture of a stag from the Showa period by Collection TH10 with fine patinated finish
A Japanese bronze model of a Stag
Collection TH10
North European Black Ebonised Molded Frame
Collection EE20
Pair of late Edo Japanese vases adapted as lamps with gold kintsugi repair by Collection TH20
Pair of late Edo Japanese vases turned lamps with kintsugi repairs and blue glaze from Collection TH20
A pair of late Edo Japanese vases now as lamps
Collection TH20
Large Rose Medallion Canton punch bowl with hand-painted floral and bird motifs from Collection CK20.
Close-up of antique Large Rose Medallion Canton punch bowl with hand-painted floral and figure design by Collection CK20
Large Rose Medallion Canton Punch Bowl
Collection CK20
Carved giltwood lion’s mask showcasing Regency craftsmanship from Collection CK10 with intricate detailing and aged gold finish
Carved giltwood lion's mask with intricate detailing from Collection CK10, inspired by early 19th-century Regency design
Carved Giltwood Lions Mask
Collection CK10
Vintage mid-century Modernist wireframe rattan chair with metal frame, part of Collection EE30.
Pair of 1950s French modernist wireframe rattan chairs with metal frames by Collection EE30 in warm natural tones.
Pair of Modernist Wireframe Rattan Chairs
Collection EE30
Pair of Double-Gourd Crystalline Glaze Ceramic Table Lamps
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Pair of 19th Century Victorian Red Ceramic Table Lamps
Collection TH30
Four framed Indian portrait miniatures of Mughal rulers and consorts by Nicholas Wells Antiques, 19th century India.
Two Framed Indian Portrait Miniatures of Mughal Rulers
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Large Bohemian Engraved Red Glass Table Lamp with brass triangular base and ruby faceted clear glass column.
Large Bohemian Engraved Red Glass Table Lamp with ornate cast brass base featuring vine and grape details.
Large Bohemian Engraved Red Glass Table Lamp
Collection EE20
Horse and Groom in a Landscape with Figures and House
Collection PK10
Blue Crackle Glazed Vase by Signed Keramos mounted as a table lamp with cream pleated shade, circa 1960, France.
Blue Crackle Glazed Vase by Signed Keramos Mounted as a Table Lamp with detailed crackle pattern and handle close-up view
Blue Crackle Glazed Vase by Signed Keramos Mounted as a Table Lamp
Collection EE20
Pair Of Polychrome Over Powder Blue Chinoiserie Vases
Collection EE10
Silver centrepiece by T. Bradbury & Sons
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Pair of Meiping-form ceramic table lamps with blue-mottled brown glaze by Nicholas Wells Antiques, featuring white shades
Pair of Meiping-Form Ceramic Table Lamps with Blue-Mottled Brown Glaze
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Pair of blue crystalline glaze ceramic table lamps by Nicholas Wells Antiques with elegant baluster shapes and creamy shades
Pair of blue crystalline glaze ceramic table lamps by Nicholas Wells Antiques with one lamp featuring a pleated ivory shade
Pair of blue crystalline glaze ceramic table lamps
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Antique Chinese Carved Wooden Vase Stand
Nicholas Wells Antiques
White ceramic polar bear sculpture with shagreen enamel texture from Collection TH30, height 28 cm, length 33 cm
White ceramic polar bear sculpture with shagreen enamel texture by Collection TH30, inspired by MNF Sèvres design.
MNF Sèvres (1929–1936) “Polar Bear”
Collection TH30
Pair of 19th century weighted hairy paw brass door porters from Collection TH10 with ornate Victorian design
Pair of 19th century weighted brass door porters by Collection TH10 with intricate Victorian design and functional detail
Pair of 19th century weighted hairy paw brass door porters
Collection TH10
Early 20th Century Alabaster Polar Bear sculpture, French, circa 1925, detailed white alabaster figure on base.
Early 20th Century Alabaster Polar Bear
Nicholas Wells Antiques
Vivid Green Lustrous Ceramic Banana Leaf
Collection EE20
French Mid-Century Glazed Ceramic Table Lamp with white glaze and biscuit leaf motifs, 32 cm high, shade not included.
French Mid-Century Glazed Ceramic Table Lamp with white biscuit leaf motif ceramic base, 32 cm high, rewired for modern use.
French Mid-Century Glazed Ceramic Table Lamp
Collection EE20

In the context of antique furnishings and objets d’art, Animalier denotes a distinctive category that incorporates animal-themed ornamentation—celebrating creatures of land, sea, and sky not through sculpture or painting, but through stylised, symbolic design.

Far beyond the formal French artistic movement of the 19th century, the term here embraces the rich tradition of animal references in decorative arts: ram’s head handles adorning classical vases, lion masks flanking drawer fronts, eagle finials crowning clocks or furniture, and serpentine forms coiled into mounts and moldings. These motifs often carry deeper meaning: strength, wisdom, majesty, and protection, lending each piece an added narrative drawn from mythology, heraldry, and nature.

Whether carved in wood, cast in bronze, chased in gilt or sculpted in marble, these animal elements are more than embellishment—they reflect the historical fascination with the natural world and the symbolic power of its inhabitants. From Neoclassical urns with rams' masks to Louis XVI lion paw feet or Regency-era griffins, Animalier antiques embody a timeless connection between design and zoology, form and metaphor.
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