Sculpture of a snake in iron, French, middle of the 19th century

Sculpture of a snake in iron.
Cast iron. France.
Mid 19th century.
L. 5,7 in. ; w. 3,1 cm.

Sculpture of a snake in cast iron, remarkable for the colour of its patina and the quality of the sculpture, probably a French work from the mid-19th century, part of the movement towards animal sculpture, the most famous example might be the Python embracing a gazelle by Barye.