A pair of Louis XV style gilt-bronze mounted turquoise-glazed frogs, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, the mounts signed L'escalier de cristal, second half of 19th century

The frog, or rather the toad, has been a symbol of prosperity, wealth, and even avarice in China since the 16th and 17th centuries. According to feng shui principles, its representation should not be placed opposite the main entrance, nor in the bedroom or dining room.

These exotic animals were highly sought after by European collectors, most often adorned with gilt-bronze mounts by 18th-century merchants to give them a more Western feel, a style that would continue throughout the 19th century.

The Maison A l'Escalier de Cristal was first established in 1802 by Madame Désarnaud. She exhibited at the Exposition Nationale in the Louvre in 1819 with great acclaim. The business was based in the Palais Royal and it was the first manufacturer to mount crystal objects with gilt-bronze. L' Escalier supplied lamps, vases, clocks and other objets d'art to most of the aristocratic European families. The firm was appointed fournisseur breveté du Roi in 1819 as well as to the Duc de Berry and the garde meuble de la Couronne. In 1872, the business was acquired by Emile Pannier and moved from their Palais Royal Galleries to Nouvel Opera region at the corner of rue Scribe and rue Auber. In 1885, George and Henry Pannier succeeded their father and gradually developed a company which became noted for the quality of its production. The company supplied furniture and all manners of luxurious objects often having manufacturers supplying individual components which were then assembled to the firm's own design. The firm's work can be found in public collections such as the Musée du Louvre and the Musée d' Orsay, Paris. 

For a similar frog with signed l'Escalier de cristal gilt-bronze mounts, see Hôtel Lambert, une collection princière, volume III, à travers l'hôtel Lambert, 13 October 2022, lot 722.