Ref.17256
"The Dragons", Rare pair of gilt-bronze wall sconces in the Japanese taste

Gilt-bronze A dragon in the Chinese style gracefully wraps his slender body around a branch of stylized branches. The inspiration for these sconces comes from the Orient, more specifically China, and they express the taste for Oriental art in vogue at the end of the 19th century. This was the result of the opening of Asia to the West, through their participation in international exhibitions, as well as the collections that were formed by wealthy and enlightened art collectors, such as Henri Cernuschi or the Empress Eugénie who installed a Chinese Museum at Fontainebleau. These contacts meant there was a new decorative repertory, greatly appreciated, that the designers of the 19th century could draw upon when creating elegant new objects for their clientele.    The stylized cloud motif around the dragon and the head of the monster are also characteristic of this same source of inspiration, which encouraged decoration that was both elegant and sophisticated, and was emblematic of a refined lifestyle. Such works integrated perfectly in the distinguished interiors of connoisseurs and lovers of Asian art of the period. This pair of wall sconces, formerly attributed to Édouard Lièvre, took its inspiration from the work of the greatest designers of the period, such as Reiber or Viardot.    The high quality of the chasing of the bronze and the finesse of the fabrication show that these sconces are the work of a true bronze artist who was smitten by this Far-Eastern taste and created an important work of art destined to decorate the most luxurious interiors of the period.  

Ref.13206
Cast iron fireback with the wedding coat of arms of Joseph-François de Montecler et Hyacinthe Menon de Turbilly, 17th century

Cast iron fireback with the wedding coat of arms of Joseph-François de Montecler et Hyacinthe Menon de Turbilly. Joseph-François de Montecler, marquis of Montecler, (1694-1766) married in 1716 Hyacinthe Menon de Turbilly (1699-1742), lady of La Rongère, of who the marquis de Sourches praised the beauty.

Ref.14697
Louis-Philippe period billiard table with marquetry

Magnificent billiard table made during the Louis-Philippe period in wood and gilded bronzes. It is decorated with a light wood marquetry on a dark background representing numerous small scenes and a set of circular gilt bronze rosettes all around.

Ref.15013
BACCARAT, Crystal Vase with Neo-Greek Decoration, circa 1867

This vase was executed by the Baccarat manufacture, which presented several pieces with similar decoration at the 1867 World’s Fair; it can therefore be dated to this period. Founded under Louis XV, the French crystal manufacture Baccarat demonstrated its excellence and creativity at the World Fairs throughout the 19th century. This double-layered crystal vase, etched with acid, adopts the shape of a crater, a vessel in which wine and water were mixed before meals in ancient Greece. Its decoration, blue on a white background, is also inspired by ancient Greece: the body is adorned with a figure of a young ephebe playing cymbals and a woman, probably a bacchante, dancing. Below the handles, there is a stylized decoration of scrolls and palmettes, while the base and neck are adorned with regular friezes. These elements are highlighted with gold. The Chrysler Museum in Norfolk (USA) and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris both have a Neo-Greek vase in the shape of an amphora executed by Baccarat around 1867, whose blue and white double crystal decorations are very similar to ours.

Ref.15702
AU VASE ÉTRUSQUE – Porcelain Vase with Aquatic Decoration

Porcelain vase with lid, marked AU VASE ÉTRUSQUE, PARIS. The surface features a hand-painted and gilt aquatic design on a light blue background. The decoration includes a stylized fish with gold highlights, jellyfish, aquatic plants, and rock formations, rendered in shades of gold, gray, and brown. The rounded body rests on a fluted base with gilded accents. The matching lid has a scalloped gold border and a finial decorated with vertical gold lines.