c. 1896
Emmanuel Fremiet (French, 1824–1910) Produced by Émile Muller et Cie. (Ivry-sur-Seine, France, 1854–1908)
France
This bull and its pelican companion are in fact chimeras: imaginative beasts composed of disparate body parts from two or more animals. French sculptor Emmanuel Fremiet merged the contemporary fascination with medieval imagery—particularly gargoyles—with his lifelong zoological studies. The gothic influence shows in each creature’s set of batlike wings, while the pelican’s mismatched but eerily realistic frog body displays Fremiet’s naturalist bent.
Glazed stoneware