Complete Menagerie by Edouard Marcel Sandoz for Christofle Gallia, France

This exceptional complete set of twelve silver-plated knife rests represents one of the most celebrated achievements in French Art Deco tableware design. Created by the Swiss-born sculptor Edouard Marcel Sandoz (1881–1971) for Christofle's prestigious Gallia line around 1920, the collection captures the essence of the period's fascination with stylized animal forms and streamlined elegance. Each piece in this charming zoological parade (measuring approximately 2 by 11 by 2 centimeters) depicts a different creature rendered in Sandoz's distinctive manner. The sculptor's remarkable ability to distill animal forms to their essential character is evident throughout: a reclining cat with an elegantly curved tail, a swift greyhound frozen mid-stride, birds with geometric plumage, and various domestic and wild animals each reduced to sleek, polished silhouettes that nonetheless capture the unmistakable spirit of their subjects. Sandoz trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under the celebrated animalier sculptor Georges Gardet and exhibited at the Salon from 1904. He developed an immediately recognizable approach to animal sculpture that balanced naturalistic observation with the geometric simplification favored by Art Deco designers. His work for Christofle Gallia brought this refined aesthetic to the dining table, transforming utilitarian objects into miniature sculptures worthy of collection. The set retains its original fitted presentation case, its salmon-pink satin lining preserving an identification chart that matches each animal figure to its designated slot. The case itself, with its textured exterior and brass hardware, speaks to the luxury status these objects held when new; presented as precious gifts for discerning households where the art of formal dining remained paramount.