Celebrated actress Sarah Bernhardt was also a gifted sculptor, and this bronze inkwell is a self‑portrait. She represents herself as a sphinx, with the body of a griffon, wings of a bat, and tail of a fish—a metaphor for her ability to transform herself, both on stage and off. Theatrical masks of Tragedy and Comedy adorn her shoulders like epaulettes, further highlighting her identity as a performer. The fantastic combination of natural forms reflects late 19th-century Symbolism and Art Nouveau and references the imagery and techniques of 16th-century Mannerist bronzes. When touring abroad, she sometimes exhibited a cast of this self-portrait in cities where she was performing.

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