Ceramic Manufacture (1845-1895)

A. de Caranza

Designer (1843-1914)
(attributed to)

Pair of Lamps

Mark of J.Vieillard & Cie à Bordeaux

France
Circa 1880

Earthenware, Gilded bronze

Height with globe : 80 cm (31,5 in.) ; Width : 25 cm (9,8 in.) ; Depth : 18 cm (7 in.)

Beautiful pair of baluster-shaped faience lamps, originally oil-fired, featuring a central decoration of arabesques and stylized scrollwork in iron-red on a manganese-brown background, framed by turquoise and cobalt-blue cartouches with palmettes and symmetrical fleurons. The whole is encircled at the upper and lower sections by a frieze of red flowers on a blue background. The applied side handles take the form of stylized bamboo branches, their leaves unfolding across the body. The whole is set within a finely chased and gilt bronze mount composed of a friezes and ribbon-tied torus laurel moldings, and rests on a base ending in four scrolled feet surmounted by small floral-cast blocks.

This pair of lamps belongs to the Neo-Orientalist and Historicist production of the second half of the 19th century. The polychromy, dominated by intense blues, deep brown, and red highlights, reflects the European rediscovery of Iznik and Safavid Persian ceramics, which were highly fashionable following the Universal Exhibitions (notably those held in Paris in 1855 and 1867). The Vieillard manufactory distinguished itself by its ability to reinterpret these Oriental models into a decorative vocabulary suited to French taste.

Biography

Bordeaux knew at the beginning of the 19^th century a great development of fine earthenware due to the establishment of a manufacture by Boudon de Saint-Amans. That factory was however quickly sold to David Johnston, whom opened a factory in Bacalan that counted then up to 700 workers. The production became industrial, with printed patterns of varied colors. Jules Vieillard took after in 1845 David Johnston’s company. His work was crucial to the industrial success of the Bacalan manufacture and also to the artistic quality, which was unanimously celebrated during the famous Universal Exhibitions. His earthenware even earned the generic name of « Vieillard ceramics ». In his last period, Jules Vieillard developed an exceptional Orientalism through his creations. In 1865, his sons Charles and Albert, took after the factory under the company name of « Manufacture Jules Vieillard et C^ie », and produced a lot of various designed pieces, particularly decorated with birds and flowers. However, their printed decors were of quite poor quality. To solve that problem, they decided to renew the forms of the pieces, evolving towards fashionable decorative pieces, such as lamps, jardinieres and vases. As for the oldfashioned decoration, the artistic department worked hard under the direction of Amédée de Caranza newly arrived around 1875. This ceramist from Longwy, launched there in 1872 the famous eponymous enamels « Emaux de Longwy », renewing the ornemental vocabulary with his technique of partitioned enamel. His decorations mainly evoked the brilliance of Persian and Japanese objects. But, as Caranza left Longwy to Bordeaux, Longwy couldn’t keep  any longer its exclusivity. Caranza became then the manager of the Vieillard factory workshop in 1882, which knew thus a new momentum, until his departure a few years later, probably in 1885. The Vieillard factory closed down in 1895.

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France
Circa 1880

Porcelain, Gilded bronze

Height : 67 cm (26,4 in.) ; Diameter base : 13,5 cm (5,3 in.)

Beautiful pair of gourd-shaped vases mounted as lamps, in powder blue porcelain and Louis XVI-inspired mounts in chiseled and gilded bronze. The neck is decorated with acanthus leaves highlighted by a frieze of pearls, and two leafy handles blossom on the belly. They rest on a gilded bronze base decorated with foliage and rosettes.

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Founder

(attributed to)

Pair of Neo-Greek Floor Lamps

France
Circa 1860

Total Height (without globe) : 188,5 cm (74,2 in.) ; Base : 45 x 45 cm (17,7 x 17,7 in.)
Pedestal height : 136 cm (53,5 in.)
Lamp height : 52 cm (20,4 in.)

Beautiful pair of neo-Greek floor lamps in bronze with double patina, composed of lamps in the shape of an antique vase, decorated on the body with a rotating frieze representing a circle of dancing nymphs. They rest on pedestals with a circular top in Griotte marble enhanced with palmettes, from which hang thin chains attached to the slender shaft decorated with stylized leaves and resting on a tripod base decorated with the heads of Bacchus alternating with large palmettes and ending in lion’s paws.

The stylistic repertoire used here, composed in particular of palmettes, masks, and nymphs, evokes Greek Antiquity, as does the reuse of forms of furniture and objects such as tripods and antique vases.
The rediscovery in the 18th century of the archaeological remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum allowed artists of all disciplines to draw inspiration from Antiquity while reinterpreting it.
This trend did not fade and, in the 19th century, many personalities fitted out their interiors with neo-Greek furniture, as was the case for the Maison Pompéienne built in 1856 by the architect Alfred Normand (1822-1909) for Prince Napoleon, or Empress Eugénie who bought from the Maison Barbedienne pedestals inspired by antique tripods.

Pedestal model presented by Maison Barbedienne at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855. On this occasion, Empress Eugénie bought it for her bathroom in the Château de Saint-Cloud. This model pleased the Empress so much that she ordered two other pairs in 1858 for her boudoir in the palaces of Compiègne and Fontainebleau.

Watercolour showing the Empress’ toilet at Saint-Cloud Castle, by Fortuné de Fournier, 1860, Compiègne Palace

Biography

It was at 3 bis rue Ste-Elisabeth that Lacarrière, a simple craftsman opened a workshop that was soon to specialise and to excell in the production of bronze lighting equipment. From 1834 to 1844 he was awarded several prizes. Lacarrière, Delatour & Cie after 1870 cast and carved the great majority of the lamps, candelabras and chandeliers of the Paris Opera Garnier, among which the chandelier in the concert hall, designed by Garnier himself and modeled by Corboz. At the 1878 Universal Exhibition, there was a special note in the catalogue declaring that : « their exhibition proves their craft to be very pure and precise, their taste very sure in bronzes used for interior lighting. » Lacarrière, Delatour & Cie participated in the creation of the chandelier at the Queen’s Theatre in London. They also produced fourteen monumental candelabras for the Paris Alexandre III Bridge, which was an amazing feat at the time considering some of the pieces weighed up to 1470 pounds, and measured 14 ft. 9 in. with a diametre of 15 ft. 5 in.

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China

Circa 1890
Gilded and patinated bronze

Height with lampshade : 73 cm (28,7 in.) ; Diameter lampshade : 44,5 cm (17,5 in.) ; 

Diameter base : 22 cm (8,6 in.)

Beautiful pair of patinated and gilded bronze vases mounted as lamps, decorated with flowers and foliage in cartouches. Covered with a bronze pleated silk lampshade edged with a double gold and brown braids.  First equipped with a French “Odin Merveilleux” oil lamp mechanism, they are now electrified.

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Designer and Art objects Editor
(attributed to)

Charming Night Lamp

France
Circa 1880

Porcelain, Crystal, Gilded bronze

Height : 15 cm (5,9 in.) ; Diam. : 15 cm (5,9 in.) ; Base width : 12 cm (4,7 in.)

Charming hexagonal night light in painted porcelain decorated with flowers, surmounted by an openwork gallery in gilded bronze containing a cut crystal corolla. Bordered by three Greek-shaped handles ending in hooves, it rests on an openwork tripartite base ending in rosebuds.

Biography

“L’Escalier de Cristal”, an old and famous Parisian firm, specialized in glass products and ceramics but also suggested furniture and bronze sculptures. It was led from 1885 to 1923 by Emile Pannier’s sons, who gave the name of Pannier Frères to the society, located at the corner of Scribe street and Auber street, next to the new built Paris Opera house. Their Japanese style creations were among many others much appreciated by the critics and the public. They were awarded many medals at various exhibitions, such as the Gold medal at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition.
Lots of artists participated in that world success, such as Emile Gallé, who gave to Pannier Frères the exclusive rights of some of his models, or François-Eugène Rousseau, who designed many vases and gave the model of his successful Japanese style dining-set as well. This set was made by the Creil et Montereau Manufacture. In the Japanese style furniture branch, many famous makers such as Majorelle from Nancy, Edouard Lièvre or Gabriel Viardot worked for Pannier Frères. Some pieces are to be seen in the greatest museums: the Ermitage in Saint-Petersburg, the Orsay Museum in Paris, the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. The Maison “L’Escalier de Cristal” was sometimes the exclusive owner of the models and then those pieces were just signed by “L’Escalier de Cristal” or sometimes beside the artist signature. But “L’Escalier de Cristal” was also very creative, completing pieces with superb gilded bronzes, glass or enameled panels and often including authentic Japanese or Chinese elements.

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Designer
(1828-1886)

 (Attributed to)

Japanese style Lamp

Japan – France
Circa 1880

Enamel porcelain, Gilded bronze

Height with lampshade : 133 cm (52,3 in.) / without lampshade : 125 cm (49,2 in.) ;
Diameter : 86 cm (33,8 in.)

Important Japanese style gourd-shaped lamp, made with a polychrome Kutani porcelain vase decorated with lake scene and flowers in cartouches, in the middle of flying waders on a red background. It is covered with a beige pleated silk lampshade, embroided with flowers and waders. It rests on an « old gold » patinated bronze base with stylized openwork decoration, topped with a Fô dog on each foot. 

Related work

Japanese enamel porcelain vase in a Japanese style mount by Edouard Lièvre, circa 1875.

Reproduced in Connaissance des arts Edouard Lièvre, H.S. n°228, p.8.

Biography

Edouard Lièvre (1829-1886) studied under the painter Thomas Couture (1815-1879), one of the more conspicuous artists in the circle of the Empress Eugenie. E. Lièvre soon devoted himself, however, to the art of furniture design. A talented ornamentalist, marked by the eclecticism typical of the Second Empire, Lièvre knew how to avail himself of skillful collaborators in order to create pieces in various styles: Renaissance, Louis 16^th or Oriental, which last were part of the great artistic movement in fashion since the 1860’s: the Japanese style named also Aesthetic Movement. they recreated an imaginary Far East adapted to decorate Western reception rooms. As an Interior decorator Lièvre also matched his luxurious and refined furniture with bronzes, ceramics and even fabrics. This Oriental exoticism, which only the richest could afford, appealed to bankers, judges, artists and famous courtesans as well as the Royal and Princely families. After the death of Edouard Lièvre, the greater part of his models, sketches and cabinet designs were bought by art publishers such as « l’Escalier de Cristal » or by Ferdinand Barbedienne, thus giving them the right to reproduce Lièvre’s furniture with their own stamp (see « Ventes de la succession Lièvre »,  Hotel Drouot, 27 fevrier 1890).

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Signed on the base Prof. G. Ca…?

Italian School
Circa 1900

Alabaster, Marble

Height : 30 cm (11,8 in.) ; Width : 25 cm (9,8 in.) ; Depth : 17 cm (6,7 in.)

Charming illuminating alabaster sculpture representing a young naked woman leaning on rocks, and seated at the edge of a source concealing a light, collecting the water with a shell. She rests on a rectangular base of concave shape in brown marble.

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Numbered on its backside 359/576

France
Circa 1880

Terracotta

Height : 115 cm (45,3 in.) ; Width of the base : 37 x 30 cm (14,5 x 11,8 in.)

Large sculpture made in patinated terracotta, with a servant girl filling her jug at the fountain, which is decorated in the lower part of a lion’s head (from which flows water), topped with a grooved and truncated column, on which is wound a five light-flowers plant.

The terracotta pieces almost always bear a model number, and occasionally the edition number or how many pieces were edited, indicating then the importance of production, in this case made in a limited edition.
Originally, the signature of the sculptor never appeared in editions of terracotta. This claim of artists to see their name beside the publisher’s one didn’t appear until the late nineteenth century.

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Bronze-caster
(1828-c.1890)
(attributed to)

Pair of neo-Greek floor lamps

France
Circa 1870

Patinated bronze

Height : 183 cm (72 in.) ; 213 cm (83,8 in.) with glass shades ; Diameter : 43 cm (16,9 in.)

Rare pair of Greek style floor lamps made in patinated bronze, each surmounted of a frosted glass globe engraved of stars and a Greek motif frieze. The body of the vase, decorated with Greek style patterns such as palmets, Greek motif frieze and water leaves, stands on a shaft decorated with deer heads. Fine chains are connected to a delicate butterfly. The set is based on tripod legs with lion claw feet alternating large palmets.

Biography

Georges Emile Henri Servant (1828-c.1890), who took over his father in 1855 at their foundry, rue Vieille-du-Temple, in Paris, specialized in the production of neo-Egyptian style clocks, very popular in France since 1860’s, and also the making of Greek style decorative objects. He drew considerable attention to the high quality of his bronzes at the 1855 Paris Universal Exhibition and then at the 1862 London Exhibition. At this time Servant exported up to 40% of his production, principally to the United States, where for instance, his clocks were sold with great success by Louis Tiffany Inc. or Hamann & Roche of New York. But his success came really at the 1867 Paris Universal Exhibition, where he was awarded a gold medal for his neo-Greek and Egyptian works (Les Merveilles de l’Exposition Universelle de 1867, t. II, p° 165 & 167). He was even awarded in 1874 the « Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur », France’s hightest official mark of recognition. Servant participated once again successfully at the 1878 Paris Universal Exhibition, where he not only exhibited vases and small bronze pieces of furniture, but was also a member of the jury for the class of bronze pieces of art. He finally retired shortly before the 1889 Paris Universal Exhibition.

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France
Circa 1880

Porcelain, Gilded bronze

Height : 70 cm (27,5 in.) ; Diameter : 20 cm (7,8 in.)

Pair of Pompeian style gilded bronze mounted black porcelain lamps. Necks and bodies finely decorated with antique figures and allegories painted in light blue « grisaille » and gilded antique style motifs, such as braseros, pedestals and vases. Reposing on gilded bronze bases adorned with palmets and leaves. Topped with enlightening etched glass globes.

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