Animals were a wide source of inspiration for silversmiths. Dolphins, horses, lions, goats and a lot of other species were used to decorate handles, finials and legs of civil and ecclesiastic silverware.

And just legs have waked up my interest, 'the legs in silversmithing'.

The claws of felines and rapaces were the prevailing representation for their appearance of force and security and were preferred by many silversmiths to wings, masks, balls, vegetables or geometric forms.
Other legs are represented by hooves of goats and horses, serpents or even shells of molluscs.
All of them of great artistic value.

The most valuable representation of animals on legs of silverware are the whole body shape of turtles, lions, dolphins, horses, sheeps used by silversmiths in some magnificent works.

And finally it is possible to emphasize the satyrs and fantastic figures, inspired by the Eastern art, where the imagination of the artist gives loose rein in the representation of these characteristic figures half animal and half man.