A superb quality French standish displaying the Gallic Rooster with one foot resting on the crowned eagle seal of the German Empire which appears to have been broken off of its stand. The sculpture is signed at the base “Ch. Paillet.” Charles Paillet was born in Nievre in 1871 and is part of the second generation of great French Animalier sculptors working in the naturalistic style of the late 19th and early 20th century. This piece certainly dates around the time of World War I.
The bronze sculpture itself is five and a half inches tall. The entire piece is quite heavy and is accompanied by a marble and gilt bronze paperweight.