firecat

courtesy www.rijksmuseum.nl BK-16903-B

This cat half of a pair of gilded bronze firedogs is:
 - probably from 1770
 - probably by Philippe Caffieri the Younger
 - not the half that's a poodle
 - definitely beautiful
Firedogs help support the framework upon which the logs are piled in a fireplace.  What a clever, elegant move to make them in the shape of animals enjoying the heat and light.  That's typical for their time; 1770 would be during the ascendancy of Rococo, a playful, delicate and lyrical style.