Cats of any sort—wild cats, house cats—will always be wild-at-heart. Deep within, all cats are hunters. Sighting, stalking, pouncing and (yes) killing are a part of any cat's repertoire. Perhaps it is this fierce, prehistoric impulse which has made lions an inspiration in the arts, literature and other human aspirations.
Shown above, a mountain lion, stalking atop a craggy rock. These cast iron bookends are deftly-sculpted, patinated with a (now well-aged) golden bronze patina and hand-painted with small details. The modeling—especially of the cat—seems to have a rough, "Rodinesque" sensibility, typical of the tastes of the Twenties. The sculptor has captured the desperate energy of a hungry lion.
Mountain lions are in the Puma Concolor family. The names mountain lion, cougar, puma and panther are all different (regional) names for the same animal, found throughout North, Central and South America. Jaguars are different creatures (found in Central and South America). And Black Panthers are something different, too—leopards with all-black coloration (Asia and Africa) or all-black jaguars (Central and South America).
Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome pair of bookends.
Another handsome LEO tomorrow.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.