GIROUETTE - Lot 602

GIROUETTE Cut-out iron, featuring a crowing rooster. Early 20th century. Height. 74 cm; Width. 55 cm; Depth. 3 cm. Slight traces of oxidation. As far back as Roman antiquity, the homophonic terms Gallus, meaning both "rooster" and "Gallic", were originally combined to mock the vindictive combativeness of the Gallic people. But it was during the French Revolution that the animal was truly adopted as a symbol of the nation's search for new symbols. Neglected for a time in favor of the imperial eagle, the Gallic cockerel made a strong comeback in the 1830s, with King Louis-Philippe going so far as to sign an ordinance affixing the Gallic cockerel to the flags and buttons of the National Guard.