Jennings Brothers Bronze Bookends - c.1910-1920 order - Lion of Lucerne - Embody the Loyalty and Bravery of the Swiss - French Revolution c.1792

Jennings Brothers Bronze Bookends - c.1910-1920 - Lion of Lucerne - Embody the Loyalty and Bravery of the Swiss - French Revolution c.1792

Gorgeous antique bronze bookends crafted by Jennings Brothers of Bridgeport, CT. These are both incised with the Manufacturer's name on the bottom edge of the back side. Both bookends also do have a deep green felt bottom to prevent scratching any surface that you might place them. They are heavy enough to hold even large books securely on your bookshelf, table, or desk.

These bookends are exquisite in their detail. They are as heavy as can be and are made of cast bronze. They signify the monument known worldwide as the Lion of Lucerne -- and are incised with the script that when transcribed, it reads, "To the Loyalty and Bravery of the Swiss."

A little background taken from the website, Ancient-Origins.net:

The Lion of Lucerne (known also as the Lion Monument) is a memorial located in Lucerne, Switzerland. This monument is a rock relief carved into the cliff face of a former sandstone quarry, and features a dying lion. Sculpted during the early part of the 19th century, the purpose of the Lion of Lucerne was to commemorate the Swiss Guards who lost their lives in 1792 during the French Revolution.

In addition to these figures, a list of some of the fallen officers' names can be found on the monument. Another inscription that was engraved on the memorial is ‘HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI', which translates as ‘To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss.'

The highlight of the monument, however, is undoubtedly the statue of the lion itself. At first glance, the most noticeable feature of the lion is that it is dying. Upon closer inspection, one may notice the head of a spear sticking out from the side of the lion - the cause of its suffering and its eventual death. In addition, the lion is portrayed partially covering a shield bearing the fleur-de-lis. This is an obvious symbol of the French monarchy, as well as a representation of the cause that the Swiss Guards fought and gave up their lives for.

When the Lion of Lucerne was completed in 1821, it was within someone's private property. In 1882, however, the city of Lucerne bought that piece of property, and allowed free access to the site. Since then, the memorial became one of the city's major attractions.

One of the most well-known descriptions of the Lion of Lucerne comes from Mark Twain's 1880 travelogue, A Tramp Abroad , in which the American author wrote that the memorial was “the most mournful and moving piece of stone order in the world.”

NOTE: One of the bookends has what appears is a very small corner flaw -- as it can only been seen and noted upon very, very close inspection, it surely could have been a flaw that occurred during the original casting. Please see photos.

Set of two matching bookends.

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