Auguste Caïn (1822 - 1894) Empty pocket in the shape of a mulberry leaf surmounted by a rooster Bronze with a brown and green patina. Signed "CAIN" in the leaf and "A. CAIN" in a cartouche under the rooster Size: 16 x 23 x 18 cm Auguste Caïn was a student of Alexandre Guionnet and then François Rude and specialized in animal sculpture. The Jardin des Plantes became his place of learning and observation and enabled him to create sculptures which he exhibited from 1846 onwards. Associated with Pierre-Jules Mêne, whose daughter he will marry in 1842, he collaborates with him in the edition of bronzes from which he shares his own production. Through his father-in-law's contact with him, he acquired a definite talent that earned him many public commissions and an eminent name among the animal sculptors of the 19th century.