Vintage Swiss Metal bookends, France

This pair of Book Ends Depicting the Swiss Guard Lions of Lucerne, France which were designed by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. They are replicas of the famous Swiss "Lion of Lucerne", a monument to the brave Swiss soldiers that fought during the French revolution. They believed that the monument represented loyalty to France rather than the Swiss values of freedom and autonomy. ... The lion, dying from a spear wound in its side, lies beneath a Latin inscription that translates to “To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss”. DIMENSIONS: 7ʺW × 3ʺD × 5ʺH Latin translates to "To the loyalty & bravery of the Swiss" Style: Louis XVI (In the Style Of) Material: Metal Place of Origin: France Period: Early 20th Century Condition: Good, Original Condition Unaltered, Some Minor Imperfections. Interesting fact: The Lion Monument in Lucerne is a giant dying lion carved out of a wall of sandstone rock above a pond at the east end of the medieval town. It was designed as a memorial for the mercenary soldiers from central Switzerland who lost their lives while serving the French king Louis XVI during the French Revolution. When the revolutionary masses attacked the royal Tuileries castle in Paris on August 10, 1792 the Swiss mercenary troops tried to defend the royal family and make sure the royals could escape.