Ref.11337
Display cabinet inspired by the Far East

Japanese style display cabinet, made in the 19th century, carved with openwork motifs in Chinese scrolls and surmounted by a large dragon carved in the round. In its lower part, two drawers with grips featuring a bronze turtle and a frog and two solid doors, engraved and decorated with panels decorated with birds and flowers in mother-of-pearl inlays. In its upper part, a display case and two asymmetrical shelves. Ornaments (chimera head, dragon) in gilded bronze.

Ref.12655
Ettore XIMENES (1855-1926) (attr. to), « Boy with a beret », Carrara marble bust, Second half of the 19th century

This Carrara marble bust was made in the second half of the 19th century, it depicts a boy with young features, his head turned slightly to the left. He is dressed with a sailor collar jacket and a large beret. This sculpture can be compared with another bust depicting a similar subject and made by the Italian sculptor Ettore Ximenes (1855 – 1926). It's the representation of a boy, obvisouly a little bit older than ours, frowning and smoking a cigarette. He is dressed with a fabric around his shoulders and a beret put on his head in the same way than in our bust. Ettore Ximenes is an Italian sculptor, painter and illustrator, born in 1855 in Palermo and dead in Roma in 1926. He starts his artistic career by taking class at the Art Academy of Palermo, then from 1872 he enters the Royal Academy of Napoli where he spends time with the painter Domenico Morelli (1826 – 1901) and the sculptors Stanislao Lista (1924 - 1908) and Vincenzo Gemito (1852 – 1929). Finally, he wins in 1874, a scholarship to study for four years in Firenze. The works of art he makes at his beginning are very realistic like in the two busts presented here. Later, he starts adding symbolic elements et Neo-Renaissance ones answering the artistic trend of the end of the century. All along his career, he participates to many European exhibitions such as the International Exhibition of Vienna in 1873 or the one in Paris in 1878 where he meets the French sculptors Auguste Rodin (1840 – 1917) and Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827 - 1875). He participates also to the Napoli exhibition in 1877 where he exhibits a full-size sculpture untitled “Balance” which depicts a gymnast woman walking on a sphere, of which many small bronzes were made after. From the 80's, he makes many monumental projects in Italy and decides to dedicate himself to it from 1911 to enliven the public spaces of the world by sculpting for some cities like New York, Sao Paulo, Kiev or Buenos Aires.

Ref.13315
Albert-Ernest CARRIER-BELLEUSE (1824 - 1887) « Allegory of Winter » bust in Carrara marble

This marble bust presenting an allegory of Winter was created by one of the most prolific sculptors of the Second Empire, Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse. Mainly famous for being Auguste Rodin's (1840-1917) master, Carrier-Belleuse meets acknowledgment in 1863, when Napoléon III buys his Bacchant, now owned by the Musée d'Orsay. Starting from this date, the Emperor will grant him his full support until his reign's end. Even if he did realise lots of big marble groups, honoured during the Salons, it is his terra cotta busts which will bring fame to him. All along his career, he executes busts of his most famous contemporaries, as well as great historic figures, or fantasy busts inspired by the mythology, as it is for our bust. Carrier-Belleuse represents here a young woman with her head down, hooded with a drapery. Some locks of hair escape from the hood and seem about to be blown away by the wind. Her clothes are adorned with a pine cone on the breasts. This piece of work is remarkable because of the delicacy of the execution, which can be particularly appreciated in the drapery's folds or in the strands of hair. The allegory of Winter is part of an ensemble of busts produced by the artist, each bust depicting a season. Sometimes several versions of a season were created by Carrier-Belleuse, as for example the busts assimilated to an allegory of Autumn, with vine branches systematically used as an attribute. Same goes for the Spring, where roses seem to indicate the period of the year.

Ref.15031
Charles Stanislas MATIFAT, Persian double-sided pendulum from the London Universal Exhibition of 1851

Made for the European and Ottoman-Persian market, our clock bears the signature of Charles Stanislas Matifat and the date 1851. Matifat is considered one of the most notable Parisian art founders of the mid-19th century. His clocks, vases, chandeliers, fountains and decorative objects were renowned for their precision, refinement and careful finishes. The model of our pendulum was presented in the French section of the Universal Exhibition in London in 1851. Matifat's stand was located in the heart of the famous Crystal Palace and aroused great admiration from the press and the Exhibition jury. Richly ornamented, evoking Persian decorative arts, this creation presents the qualities of a piece of goldwork. It offers two white enamel dials. This feature makes it possible to display both European time (that of Paris or London) and time in Turkish numerals. At this time, Matifat invented a process of vitreous enamel on bronze, which allowed him to create decorations of great finesse. Matifat is known for his decorative art pieces, appreciated by Charles Garnier, but he also cast monumental sculptures by Carpeaux and Frémiet.

Ref.15193
BACCARAT (Attributed to) - Oriental crystal and gilt bronze chandelier inspired by a mosque lamp

Ref.15091
Art foundry of Johann HERZNER (attributed to), Lantern with rich rococo decoration, Second half of the 19th century

This ornate rococo-style lantern was crafted by the art foundry of Johann Herzner in the last quarter of the 19th century. The Johann Herzner art foundry, located at 37 Erzgießereistrasse in Munich, specialized in both original works and scaled reproductions. Active from approximately 1870 to 1877, the foundry made a significant impression with its display at the 1870 London International Workers’ Exhibition, where it presented a rococo-inspired couple (“Roccocopaar”) that highlighted Herzner’s early passion for the style. The pieces, noted for their exceptional clarity and detail despite a lack of chiseling, earned the foundry a second-class medal. Following this, the works were also showcased at Munich’s City Hall. Herzner further garnered acclaim at the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair, where he won a merit medal in both metal industry and decorative arts categories, praised for his well-modeled and finely crafted bronze groups. His last known exhibition was at the 1876 Munich Art and Craft Exhibition, where he received a second-class medal in the new arts industry category. This remarkable gilded bronze and glass lantern rests on a quadrilobed wooden base adorned with intricate decoration. Set within a naturalistic rocky and vegetative scene, various putti frolic in varied poses: a winged girl sits on a rock, while two young boys play amid the foliage. From this base, the stand spirals upward, featuring fluted leaves with sinuous curves surrounded by leafy embellishments. Toward the top, more putti appear: one, comfortably nestled within a curve, seems to hold seaweed in each hand; above him, a miniature Jupiter with lightning bolt and crown rests on an eagle with his left arm; another winged girl with roses gazes into the lantern, while an airy putto is suspended below, as if supporting the object. These four putti may symbolize the four elements (water, fire, earth, and air). The base of the lantern also displays rococo styling, crafted as a scalloped shell with uneven edges, from which palm-like fronds arc and frame the glass surface. The top of the lantern utilizes a play of solid and open spaces, which becomes especially striking when the lantern is lit. Each of the six glass panels is tinted blue and depicts a night sky dotted with stars, showing the moon in its various phases, which can be followed by turning the lantern. The exceptional craftsmanship and opulence of this piece showcase the artistry of the Bavarian foundry responsible for its creation, a workshop worthy of greater recognition.

Ref.14505
Fonderie Fumière & Co, Rococo pink marble lamp with gilded bronze masks, circa 1906-1926

This lamp in pink marble and gilded bronze was created at the beginning of the 20th century, between 1906 and 1926. The bronzes were executed by the Fumière and Co foundry, successor to the famous Thiébaut foundry. An art foundry from 1851, the Thiébaut company collaborated with some of the most renowned artists (David d’Angers, Carpeaux, Falguière, Carrier-Belleuse, and Gustave Doré, among others) throughout the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was notably taken over by Fumière, who used the name “Thiébaut Frères, Fumière & Co successor” between 1906 and 1926, allowing us to date our lamp to this period. The base of this lamp, in pink marble and gilded bronze, follows the decorative arts tradition under the reign of Napoleon III (1852-1870). At the lower part, the shapes, with their curves and counter-curves, as well as the leaf and shell motifs, are inspired by rocaille art; higher up, the straight shaft and neoclassical ornamentation recall the Louis XVI style, while the mascarons, like the base, echo the art practiced under the reign of King Louis XV. At the top, the bulb holder is particularly sleek. The high quality of the bronze chiseling and the beauty of the marble contribute to the elegance of this exceptional lamp.

Ref.15214
Louis XVI style trumeau with flower basket and garland of flowers

Ref.15441
Jean-Jacques FEUCHÈRE (attributed to), Jardiniere with Three Tritonesses in Porphyry and Marble, first half of the 19th century

This jardiniere with three tritonesses was created in the first half of the 19th century, with the sculpture attributed to Jean-Jacques Feuchère, and the basin (or labrum) in porphyry dating back to the 17th century. Porphyry is “a purple rock speckled with white, extracted from the Eastern Egyptian desert”. Due to its color, it was associated with imperial prestige in antiquity. Its extreme hardness, requiring expert craftsmanship, further enhances the symbolic prestige of this material. The quarries where porphyry was mined were located in the Egyptian desert and were abandoned in the 5th century. As a result, all objects made between that time and the 18th century were created by reusing ancient pieces. Here, the porphyry is paired with white marble, creating a harmonious contrast between the two parts of the work. The porphyry basin is inspired by models of ancient labra as found in the most prestigious Roman baths. However, it was likely made in the 17th century, a time when the cutting of porphyry resumed. Its perfectly circular form, carved from a single block, is emphasized by alternating convex and concave curves, with the upper section flaring outwards. A discreet circular opening allows water to drain. The sculpture serving as the support for the basin is attributed to Jean-Jacques Feuchère (Paris, 1807-1852). The son of a chiseler, Feuchère initially worked for goldsmiths and bronze manufacturers before transitioning to more monumental work. He exhibited at nearly every Parisian Salon from 1831 until his death in 1852. The sculptural ornamentation is intricately detailed. On a hexagonal base covered in moss from moisture, three kneeling tritonesses rest on their split fish tails, which intertwine with those of their neighbors. Algae transition between their fish-like lower bodies and their feminine upper bodies. The three tritonesses, their heads tilted to the side and crowned with leaves and fruits, act as caryatids, supporting the basin with their folded arms, which are joined behind their heads. Reeds emerge between each of them. The motif of the tritonesses is inspired by numerous 18th-century works featuring hybrid aquatic creatures, especially in Rococo and Baroque art. However, their style belongs to the 19th century, a time when similar motifs were revived. The tritoness motif also appears in the design of the central piece of a surtout created by François-Désiré Froment-Meurice (1801-1855) for the Duke of Luynes between 1846 and 1851 (now in the Louvre Museum), based on a drawing by Jean-Jacques Feuchère. A photograph in the collections of the Orsay Museum, taken around 1858, provides a clear view of these figures, particularly one whose posture closely resembles that of our tritonesses. Our jardinière follows in the tradition of this iconic work. The fountain formerly located on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, erected in 1843, features the same motif: on either side of the fountain’s base, a triton and a tritoness with intertwined tails support a basin in their folded arms, which in turn holds a putto and a swan. As with our jardiniere, the tritoness has a double fish tail, a subtle transition between human and animal forms, and the posture of a caryatid with her arm raised over her head. Nearly identical tritoness-caryatids to those on the Parisian fountain were still offered for casting by the Ducel Foundry, later acquired by the Val d’Osne foundry, among their fountain and basin ornaments (Ducel-Val d’Osne catalog, circa 1880, plate 212). The tritoness motif characterizing our jardinière, a popular theme in the 19th century, was already in use in the first half of the century by Jean-Jacques Feuchère or foundries, among others. It continued to be significant in the second half of the century, though the motif became more standardized, unlike the uniqueness and originality of the sculpted base of our work.