Ref.0511
Oak fireplace with portrait of a gentleman

Oak fireplace with overmantel mirror. In an elegant Louis XV style, the mantel is decorated with finely carved ornaments: a central shell is flanked between flower garlands. The jambs are decorated with Rococo cartouches that curve out and separate from the legs in a very original way. The decoration of the trumeau mirror is similar. It has a two part structure: a mirror with a curved top and a portrait of a man above. The portrait is dated back to the 18th century and is signed.

Ref.2646
Very beautiful antique Louis XV style fireplace made out of Red Griotte marble with gilded bronze ornaments

This exceptional Louis XV style antique fireplace in Red Griotte marble and gilded bronze was made in the 19th century. The sculptures on this fireplace, shells and foliage, are made entirely in finely chiselled gilded bronze.

Ref.10257
"Venus Asks Vulcan to Cast Arms for Her Son Aeneas" - Louis XVI period overmantel in carved wood

Rare Louis XVI style and period overmantel in carved wood, with a modern gilding. The upper part is decorated with a garland of flowers. Both sides are sculpted in form of pilasters, with roses, ribbons, quiver, sword, spear, helmet and griffin. A perl friez fram an oil on canvas figuring "Venus Asks Vulcan to Cast Arms for Her Son Aeneas" and an original mercury mirror.

Ref.10838
Delphin MASSIER (1836-1907) - Important Orientalist style earthenware planter

This important Orientalist earthenware planter was made around 1880 in the workshops of Delphin Massier, a member of the Massier family which was a dynasty of ceramists established since the 17th century in Vallauris. It consists of a large earthenware vase on a base with four columns adorned with muquarnas and covered with a floral and abstract Oriental ornamentation. The blue tones are both characteristic of the Massier production and of the Orientalism, especially in the field of ceramics. The pottery family tradition began with Pierre Massier (1707-1748) then with Jacques Massier (1806-1871) who gave to the workshop a new lease of life. Indeed, their factory, which was at first a simple workshop with an utilitarian vocation, stood out from the local production tanks to an innovative and artistic production. In Vallauris they introduced an art ceramic, notably thanks to the arrival of the Italian potter Gondolfi Gaetano in 1859, who initiated Delphin and his brother Clément (1844-1917) to numerous practices such as plaster molds and enamelled earthenware decoration techniques. The glory of the Massier family peaked at the turn of the century with Delphin and Clément and their cousin Jerome and son (1830-1916), son of Jerome (1820-1909). Both art ceramists and entrepreneurs, the Massiers had also made themselves known thanks to their elaborate sales catalogs which give us today a way to appreciate the diversity of their productions and to identify their models. The ceramicists family had built its reputation thanks to their ability to innovate (they developed several techniques) and because their productions were inspired by the important trends of the period. The Massiers, who played a certain role in the revival of the decorative arts, are very representative of the characteristic wealth of the 19th century. Thus, if their first realizations were inspired by historicism and eclecticism, Jerome and Delphin will devote themselves later to an Art Nouveau style production. Our planter is inspired by Orientalism, surely one of the greatest artistic movement of the 19th century which inspired the Massier for many creations as we can see in their catalogs where we can also find several similar planters to the one we present. Otherwise, one of the most prestigious realizations of Clément Massier is this planter constitued with a base, almost identical to ours, and a bowl. It is called Large Persian bowl with four columns base, whose one copy is preserved at the Vallauris Museum. Among Orientalism, Moorish Spain is one of the decorators lands of preference which gave them the turquoise blue for example. The Massiers, which developed an important taste for colors, will make green and red, but especially blue, and more precisely peacock blue, like the color of our planter, inspired by the Hispano-Moorish art, their favourite colors. The Massiers collaborated with great artists of their time such as Lévy-Dhurmer, Dominique Zumbo and their talent will be rewarded for example at the Paris World Fair in 1889 where Clement received a gold medal. They acquired an international reputation thanks to competitions and exhibitions in which they participated and had among their clients Victor Hugo or Emile Zola. This beautiful planter, with its exceptional large dimensions, its rich polychrome and its abstract and floral ornamentation, reflects both the taste for the Orient and the production of the Massier family, surely the most known dynasty of ceramists of the 19th century.

Ref.10448
Rare Louis XVI style clock with turning dial with young shepherdess decor, Statuary marble and gilt bronze

This rare Louis XVI style clock was made in the 19th century. The clock itself has a turning dial at the top of a Statuary marble urn. The Roman numerals pass and a gilt bronze snake indicates the hour. The urn is indeed decorated with gilt bronze , in particular very detailed and finely chiselled garlands. The base is also ornamented with acanthus leaves, flowers and pearls forming beautiful scrolls. Last but not least, a young shepherdess in gilt bronze , barefoot, stands next to the urn, evoking the rural imagination of the 18th century. The face, the hairstyle and the clothes of the girl are described with precision and finesse, creating beautiful reliefs.

Ref.10491
Important Louis XVI style gilt bronze clock with solar mask, Napoleon 3 period

This very beautiful Louis XVI style clock was made around 1880. Its ornamentation of gilt bronze is very rich, from the pedestal to the Medicis Vase which crowns the whole. The dial, enamelled with hours in Roman numerals and seconds in arabic numerals, is framed by small rosettes. The pendulum in the form of a solar mask, referring to the god Apollo and to the time defined by the sun's rush, is chiseled with finesse and framed by two pilasters. Finally, the whole composition is decorated with garlands and acanthus leaves describing beautiful scrolls.

Ref.11315
Cabinet with shelves inspired by the Far East

Cabinet with shelves in the Japanese style, inlaid with ivory, bone and mother-of-pearl, decorated with decorative openwork motifs enhanced with gilded bronze plaques. Opening with three doors, engraved with dragon, samurai, floral motif and three drawers. Many asymmetrical shelves. On the upper part, two carved dragons and a cornice.

Ref.12041
aul Romain CHEVRÉ (1866-1914) - Le combat de coqs, bronze with golden patina

Le combat de coqs, a bronze print with a golden patina signed Paul Chevré (1866-1914). Stamp of the foundryman Jollet & Cie Paris.

Ref.12653
Charles Hunsinger (attributed to), Beautiful presentation stand with a marquetry decor, circa 1870-1880

Even though it is not signed, this beautiful presentation stand is very likely a work made in the 1870's-1880's by the French funriture makers Charles Hunsinger and Charles Wagner because of the caracteristic marquetry decoration. Indeed, we find on our blackened wood stand a remarkable and very interesting decor of precious woods and ivory marquetry, drawing on a checked pattern, horns of plenty and flowers crowns. These elements frame an ivory medallion receiving the profil protraits of sovereigns. Small animals come also to animate the scene, such as a butterfly, a dragonfly or even snails. this stand is a very elegant and luxurious work. Charles Husinger was born in Dossenheim in 1823, it's only around 1859 that he starts to be named in the Almanachs du Commerce as a luxurious furniture maker. He specializes himself in the ebony furniture inlaid with ivory and marquetry furniture making. In 1872, he creates a business with Charles Adolphe Frédéric WAGNER, which lasted for about ten years. During his whole career, he participates to many World Fairs and especially the ones taking place in Paris (1865, 1867, 1878 et 1889), and exhibits also in the Havre. His work was rewarded by a gold medal in Brussels in 1881, a Progress and Merit medal in Vianna and another medal in London. The inventory after his death, in 1893, shows that he continued to work during the last years of his life, dropping furniture at some sellers shops, even though he had to legally close down his business in 1890, because of a long list of creditos among which we can name his old partner, Wagner. RELATED WORK : HUNSINGER, WAGNER Paris, Cabinet made of sculpted and blackened lime wood, marquetry of diverse variety of woods and engraved bones, 1879, Conserved at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

Ref.5192
Louis XVI style mantel with acroterion in Rouge du Nord marble

Ref.11445
BACCARAT, Pair of vases with Japanese decoration of flowering trees and birds, circa 1880

This pair of vases with Japanese-style decoration was made by the Baccarat crystal works around 1880. The company created these square vases in black crystal resting on a bronze frame. These works are adorned with a natural, highly poetic decoration executed using the technique of hot enamelling in relief. Founded under Louis XV, the French Baccarat crystal factory demonstrated its excellence at the Universal Exhibitions throughout the 19th century. The black colour of hyalite crystal is obtained by injecting slag or sulphur into the glass. This dark background enhances the painted decoration. In this case, it was used to create a decoration in imitation of Chinese or Japanese lacquer plates: cherry blossom branches with wild geese flying around them stand out against the black background. The designs of the two vases are axially symmetrical. The bright colours stand out clearly against the background, highlighting the meticulous attention to detail that went into this decoration. The bronze mount at the top and base of the vases also adopts an orientalist style: the vase rests on four elephant heads resting on their trunks. A preparatory drawing kept in the glassworks’ archives shows a vase whose Japanese-style decoration was designed according to the same principle of imitating lacquer using black crystal.

Ref.15020
GILARDONI FILS & BRAULT tilery, Weepers, 1900 Paris Exposition

These ceramic mourners were created around 1900 by the tile factory Gilardoni Fils & Brault. Founded in 1880 by Xavier Gilardoni, the son and nephew of the inventors of the revolutionary waterproof interlocking tile, and Alphonse Brault, the company was based in Choisy-le-Roi and produced decorative ceramic works. The iconography of mourners has existed in funerary art since the 13th century. These figures traditionally represent grieving men surrounding the deceased. In the 15th century, Claus Sluter revitalized this tradition with the prestigious commission for the tomb of Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy. The project, initiated by Jean de Marville, was significantly reworked by Sluter, who individualized each mourner with unique postures, notably through the use of large drapery. The tomb of Philippe le Hardi is a masterpiece that revolutionized late 14th-century funerary sculpture, influencing subsequent works like the tomb of Jean sans Peur and Marguerite de Bavière, crafted by Jean de la Huerta and Antoine le Moiturier between 1443 and 1470. This latter tomb also features mourners inspired by those of Philippe le Hardi. Nearly five centuries later, the mourners from these ducal tombs still captivated artists. Gilardoni Fils & Brault produced several versions of these figures, separating them from their original context and rendering them as stand-alone works. The mourners here are notable for their expressiveness. The first figure, with its face hidden under a hood and arms crossed, leans slightly backward in a dignified expression of grief, resembling mourner No. 22 from Philippe le Hardi’s tomb by Sluter. The second figure, more humorous in nature, pinches its nose, perhaps due to the stench of death or to hold back tears. This figure echoes mourner No. 64 from Jean sans Peur’s tomb, which itself likely drew inspiration from the now-lost mourner No. 17 from Philippe le Hardi’s tomb. The mourners by Gilardoni Fils & Brault were exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exposition alongside other works by the manufacturer. An old photograph published in The Art Journal. The Paris Exhibition 1900 (volume 2, p. 351) shows a series of six mourners, including the two currently at the Marc Maison gallery. The No. 22 mourner from Philippe le Hardi’s tomb is displayed twice, at each end of the shelf, showcasing the uniform quality of the reproductions. The Marc Maison gallery mourners bear the numbers 3 and 6 under their bases. The photograph is accompanied by high praise for the manufacturer’s stand: “The works shown here were of a distinctly individual nature, and nothing finer of its kind than the little statuettes representing the “Monks of Dijon” was to be found in the Section” (The Art Journal. Paris Exhibition 1900, volume 2, p. 351). While inspired by significant works from the early 15th century, these mourners are firmly rooted in their time, reflected in the use of ceramics and their inherent reproducibility, which allowed for wider dissemination, though such works remain rare today.

Ref.15384
O. Milon, Émile Diffloth, Ornamental Dish with Hummingbird, late 19th century

This ornamental plate featuring a hummingbird was created by the ceramicists Émile Diffloth and O. Milon at the end of the 19th century. The placement of their respective signatures indicates that the former took care of the design, while the latter probably crafted the plate itself. While the figure of O. Milon is not known, Émile Diffloth (1856-1933) is one of the most recognized ceramicists of his generation. Between 1889 and 1910, he notably worked at Kéramis, the Belgian pottery of Boch Frères, before going to University City (Missouri) to teach ceramic techniques. The plate features a colorful design of a hummingbird with subtle shades of blue and brown, standing out against an orange background and flying among vine leaves and brambles. The background is also detailed, adorned with small vegetal motifs in slight relief. The vibrant colors of the piece highlight the artist’s enameling work.

Ref.14169
Pair of Japanese Carved Armchairs – Ebisu and Daikoku

Pair of armchairs in black-stained beechwood, finely carved to depict two iconic Japanese deities: Ebisu, holding a carp and a fishing basket, and Daikoku, resting on his magical mallet (uchide no kozuchi), a symbol of wealth and prosperity. These figures belong to the group of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin) in Japanese tradition. The detailed woodwork highlights their joyful expressions and richly carved garments, giving these armchairs both decorative and symbolic significance. A rare example of Japanese craftsmanship combining function with spiritual representation.