Cherub / Angel Sitting on the Crest of the Moon

Description

• Central Figure: A winged cherub (putto) seated atop billowy clouds and the lower tip of a crescent moon, holding the upper crescent aloft while clutching a star in the other hand.
• Inkwells: Flanked on either side by twin urn-form inkwells decorated with swirling fluting and leaf motifs. The hinged domed covers are topped with cast floral bud finials and open to reveal removable white ceramic inserts.
• Pen Tray & Base: The broad frontal tray features a stippled ground bordered by laurel and acanthus leaf sprays. The central circular medallion is cast with the profile of a putto framed by a twisted ribbon garland. The stand rests on four scrolled, splayed acanthus feet.
• Construction: Single-piece hollow-cast metal with an all-over gilt finish (gilt spelter/régule ).

Origin, Maker, & Date

• Origin: France
• Date: Circa 1880–1900 (Belle Époque era)
• Maker: French foundry / decorative metal caster (Unmarked). Like many Belle Époque decorative desk accessories, these were produced in Parisian foundries without explicit maker’s marks, stamped serial numbers, or signatures.

Additional Information & Context

• Style & Movement: French Neo-Rococo / Rococo Revival. The design blends whimsical mythological motifs with heavy Rococo scrollwork and Neoclassical laurel detailing.
• Symbolism: The “cherub on the crescent moon holding a star” was a popular romantic allegory representing night, dreams, and cosmic devotion—often referenced poetically as “promising the moon and the stars.”
• Dual-Well Functionality: The two wells were typically intended to hold contrasting inks (e.g., black or blue for standard correspondence and red for accounting, editing, or ledgers), or one side used for ink and the other for a pounce/sander pot before blotting paper became universal.