Ref.3612
BARDIE Armand (cabinetmaker) - An antique Napoleon III style fireplace with its overmantel

Large oak wood fireplace and pierglass, Napoleon III style, made in the late 19th century or early 20th century. Stamp by BARDIE, cabinetmaker in Bordeaux for Armand Bardié (deceased in 1926) who owned a cabinetmaking factory at the 49 cours Georges Clemenceau in Bordeaux. He is also known as archaeologist and creator of the Museum of the Porte de Calhau and the Museum of Old Bordeaux.

Ref.11432
Japanese style clock set with Fô dog

This late 19th century cloak set was made of blue decorated ceramic in a Far Eastern style. It consists of a clock and two vases decorated with a dragon in rolled relief. Resting on a base, a Fô dog is represented on the clock. The Fô dog is the Chinese guardian, often placed in front of Imperial Palaces, temples and tombs. The one who adorns this clock is depicted standing on hind legs, letting his front legs rest on a globe integrating the clock mechanism. Each of the three pieces rests on a four-legged bronze base.

Ref.3833
Antique cast iron stove in the Napoleon III style decorated with caryatids

Rare antique Napoleon III style stove made in the 19th century out of painted cast iron decorated with caryatids and a lion's head. The top is in Northern Red marble.

Ref.14085
Overmantel in gilded wood in the Restoration style with rounded corners

This 19th century overmantel mirror features rounded corners and is framed by a pearl frieze. It is gilded with gold-leaf.

Ref.15276
Miguel Fernandez LOPEZ, known as MILO, The Diver, contemporary era

The Diver was executed by Milo at the end of the 20th or the beginning of the 21st century. Miguel Fernando López, known as Milo (born in Lisbon in 1955), is a Portuguese post-war and contemporary sculptor of international renown. He works for many renowned foundries and primarily creates small bronze sculptures. With The Diver, he is as interested in representing a sport as in depicting the human body. The sculpture portrays a naked man, crouching as if about to dive forward; this effect is enhanced by the height of the Portoro marble base and by the position of his hands, below the top level of the base. In his work, the sculptor is interested in the flexibility that the body can achieve and the twists it can undergo. In the case of The Diver, his position is not rigorous: a diver would point his hands towards the water, while here they are intertwined in a harmonious curve. Similarly, the man is not wearing a swimsuit, which elevates the work to the level of a representation of the nude, an academic exercise, and not merely a depiction of a sport. The artist does not neglect any detail and, although hidden at first glance, the face is of great delicacy. Milo also created an Athlete in a similar vein. Again, the sport is a pretext for the representation of the nude. The man is also crouched, but it is more difficult to determine what he is about to do; perhaps the artist has depicted the stage preceding the dive.

Ref.15300
Jules CANTINI, Large Urn in Numidia Red Breccia Marble,second half of the 19th century

This vase, crafted from Numidia Red Breccia was sculpted in the second half of the 19th century by the sculptor Jules Cantini. Jules Cantini (1826-1916) developed a deep familiarity with marble early in his career, working alongside his brother in a decorative sculpture workshop. He operated several quarries, first near Marseille, his hometown, and later in Italy and Algeria, where the Numidia Red Breccia for this vase was sourced. His business flourished through collaborations with various artists, and he became a significant patron of the arts. In 1908, he was awarded the Légion d’Honneur. The design of both the vase and its pedestal is distinctly neoclassical. The base features alternating fluted quarter columns and flat panels with rectangular moldings. The top of the pedestal bears the artist’s signature. The vase’s overall form is reminiscent of the Warwick Vase, an ancient artifact discovered around 1771 in the ruins of Hadrian’s Villa, later acquired by the second Earl of Warwick, who commissioned a greenhouse specifically to house the piece. Cantini simplified the form: a molded base supports the lower part of the body, which is adorned with gadroons. Above, the concave central section is framed by two delicately sculpted handles with scrolls and vegetal interlaces, between two beadwork friezes. The upper rim flares out elegantly. The choice of Numidia Red Breccia marble is key to the vase’s ornamental appeal. Sourced from the Kristel quarry in Algeria, this marble is prized for its decorative qualities in furniture and art objects. The carved embellishments interact beautifully with the marble’s rich, varied colors, making this vase a stunning example of its artistic and material richness.

Ref.5787
Louis XVI style molded marble mantel in Jourdan wood

Ref.15585
Louis XVI style trumeau with quiver and torch