Crystal Manufactory

« Piccadilly »  Roemer Glass Set

France
Circa 1980

Crystal 

Height : 20 cm (7,8 in.) ; Diameter : 8,3 cm (3,2 in.)

Rare set of 31 Rhine wine glasses, known as “Roemer,” made of clear cut crystal and lined in various colors (amethyst, anise green, cobalt blue, ruby red, emerald green, orange) from the Baccarat factory, Piccadilly model. The flared bowl is adorned with deep, vertical, beveled cuts that pierce through the colored layer, revealing the clear crystal beneath. The base of the glass is decorated with a wide band of finely cut diamond-pointed crosshatching, creating multiple reflections. Each glass rests on a slender, smooth stem of clear crystal, ending in a flat, circular base.

The Piccadilly collection, featured in the official Baccarat catalog since 1933, includes a wide variety of tableware pieces, such as wine glasses, champagne flutes and bowls, Roemer glasses, as well as water pitchers and carafes. This set is often paired with the Buckingham and Balmoral models on formal dining tables. This collection of cut glass was in production for a very long time and remained on the market until 1991.

Biography

The famous Baccarat crystal glassworks, whose origins date back to the 18th century, won its first gold medal at the 1823 Industrial Products Exhibition, where it was praised for “the brilliance and finesse of its crystal” and became France’s leading crystal glassworks. Baccarat was undoubtedly the only French manufacturer at the time to be consistently and masterfully represented at the various exhibitions in which it participated, thereby earning honors and prestigious awards. A key phrase, “the perfection of the material and the cut,” recurs in all reports from the World’s Fairs between 1855 and 1867, where Baccarat crystal dominated due to the quality of its crystal, deemed superior to that of Bohemia and England.

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Crystal Manufactory

« Harcourt Empire » Glass Set

France
Circa 1970

Crystal

Elegant set of clear cut crystal glassware from Baccarat’s Harcourt collection, in its sumptuous fine-gold-plated version called Harcourt Empire, consisting of :

–    18 champagne flutes
–    16 water glasses
–    20 red wine glasses
–    24 white wine glasses
–    10 liqueur glasses
–    2 decanters with stoppers
–    2 pitchers

Characteristic of this model, the bowl, adorned with gold trim along the rim, is cut with broad, flat ribs featuring delicate symmetrical arabesque motifs, palmettes, and interlacing patterns applied with great precision, creating a flared and powerful silhouette that beautifully captures the light. The stem, short and sturdy on the wine and water glasses, more slender on the flutes, is faceted and features a very pronounced triple central knob. Each piece rests on the iconic hexagonal base, the model’s true geometric signature. The base of this hexagon is highlighted by a gold band.

The Harcourt model was created in 1841 to fulfill a commission for King Louis-Philippe. It is the oldest Baccarat model still in production. The gold “Empire” decoration was introduced later, in 1925. Baccarat began systematically applying this acid-etched stamp to its entire production starting in 1936. Prior to that date, pieces generally bore a paper label that would wash off.

biography

The famous Baccarat crystal glassworks, whose origins date back to the 18th century, won its first gold medal at the 1823 Industrial Products Exhibition, where it was praised for “the brilliance and finesse of its crystal” and became France’s leading crystal glassworks. Baccarat was undoubtedly the only French manufacturer at the time to be consistently and masterfully represented at the various exhibitions in which it participated, thereby earning honors and prestigious awards. A key phrase, “the perfection of the material and the cut,” recurs in all reports from the World’s Fairs between 1855 and 1867, where Baccarat crystal dominated due to the quality of its crystal, deemed superior to that of Bohemia and England.

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Bronze-caster (1815 – 1903)
(attributed to)

“Drunken Hercules” Centerpiece

France
Circa 1870

Patinated and gilded bronze

Height : 42 cm (16,5 in.) ; Width : 37 cm (14,6 in.) ; Depth : 30 cm (11,8 in.)

An exceptional centerpiece in patinated and gilded bronze, showcasing a magnificent contrast between the brilliance of the gilding and the depth of the brown patina. The work is centered around a three-part allegorical and Bacchic composition.

Circular and flared in shape, the bowl mimics elegant openwork wickerwork. The rim is richly ornamented with a garland overflowing with vine branches, intermingling leaves and generous bunches of grapes in high relief. The naturalistic rendering of the vine evokes abundance and Dionysian festivities.

The body of the bowl is formed by two figures in the round, cast in patinated bronze, representing Hercules and a Bacchante. Seated and gracefully leaning against one another, the Bacchante is draped in ancient-style folds that partially reveal her nudity. Hercules, for his part, carries the pelt of the Nemean lion, which he slew during the first of his twelve labors. Their delicately raised arms support the basket in a fluid, theatrical gesture. The patina treatment highlights the softness of the flesh, contrasting with the mineral quality and brilliance of the gilded elements.

The ensemble rests on an imposing, scalloped, and undulating base made of richly gilded bronze. Inspired by the Rococo style, the pedestal is vigorously chiseled with powerful acanthus leaves, asymmetrical scrollwork, volutes, and shell motifs.

This piece is characteristic of the grand decorative style of the 19th century, particularly the Napoleonic III period, which embraced a blend of styles. It combines the opulence of the Louis XV ornamental style with classical figures inspired by Antiquity or the Renaissance. The exceptionally high quality of the chiseling and the alternating surface treatments, including matte gilding, glossy gilding, and patina, attest to the excellence of the bronze casters and gilders of that era.

Biography

Guillaume Denière (1815-1903) was the pupil of the famous ornementalist Aimé Chenavard (1798-1838) and of the architect Henri Labrouste (1801-1875). In 1844, Denière succeeded his father in the family workshop, established in 1804, at 15, rue Vivienne in Paris. The business was at this time prosperous and four hundred workers worked to satisfy the numerous commissions from King Louis-Philippe and the upper classes. He made bronze furnishings, candelabras and centrepieces. He collaborated with a number of artists, amongst whom Carrier-Belleuse (1848-1913) and Constant Sévin (1821-1888). He turned out several clocks for the Tuileries Palace in 1852, as well as a ‘globe’ clock with rotating dials for the Grand Salon of the Château of Bagatelle. Denière’s work was very often remarked upon at the Universal Exhibitions, so much so in fact that the Emporer Napoleon III bought, at the Paris Exhibition of 1867, a clock set. His renown was by this point international. Amongst his most prestigious commissions, Denière produced 1854 a spectacular bronze centrepiece for the Russian ambassador, Kisselef, and decorative bronzes for the Viceroy of Egypt, Saïd Pacha, as well as railings for the Throne Room for the King of Cambodia, Norodom I, in 1862. At the 1889 Universal Exhibition G. Denière won a gold medal.

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Goldsmith (active 1863-1888)

Samovar

France – Circa 1870

Signed MEGEMOND PARIS

Silvered bronze

Height: 49 cm (19,3 in.) ; Width: 34 cm (13,4 in.) ; Depth : 33 cm (12,9 in.)

Elegant silver-plated bronze samovar, composed in its upper part of a handled teapot, surmounted by a lid with a finely worked finial, and flanked on either side by zoomorphic spouts, contributing to the visual balance of the piece. The body is adorned with a monogrammed medallion suggesting an aristocratic or bourgeois commission, set within a cartouche with cut edges and linked to the spouts by drapery with scalloped borders. It rests on a stand composed of curved uprights in volute form, connected by stretchers decorated with interlacing motifs and female mascarons, and terminating in scrolls integrated into a faceted tray. Upon this tray, raised on a stepped platform, sits a circular reservoir designed to keep the water hot.

The whole rests on a silver-plated bronze tray with a shaped mirror plate and a moulded border of laurel reeds, crafted by the silversmith Boin-Taburet.

The samovar is a vessel designed for the preparation and maintenance of hot water for tea. Of Russian origin, this device appeared in the 18th century in the metallurgical centers of Tula and quickly spread throughout Western Europe as both a utilitarian and prestige object. In its 19th-century Westernized form—particularly in France under the Second Empire—the samovar evolved into a display piece incorporated into aristocratic tea services. While retaining its thermal function, with a central reservoir heated by an internal firebox or a spirit burner, it also became a true showcase of silversmithing craftsmanship.

biography

The products of the house of Joseph Mégemond, located in the Passage des Petites Écuries, received several honorary distinctions: a silver medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1878, a gold medal (honor prize) in 1880, and a gold medal (excellence prize) in 1887. He worked as a silversmith from 1863 to 1888, the year his silver-plating business was acquired by Paul Canaux.

The two French goldsmiths George Boin and his son-in-law Emile Taburet created around 1875 in Paris the company Boin-Taburet. They made many silver pieces inspired by the beautiful services of the eighteenth century. At the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1878, Georges Boin presented a “service de toilette” inspired by the work of François-Thomas Germain (1726-1791), and then at the Universal Exhibition of 1889, several epergnes, including one of them executed after drawings by the famous artist Juste-Aurèle Meissonier (1695-1750), as well as tea sets of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. Boin-Taburet firm also exhibited a tureen and platter after Pierre Germain’s one (1645-1684) for the Jockey Club, located then on Scribe street in Paris in 1863. Through its lavish events to various international shows, Boin-Taburet company contributed to the revival styles of the eighteenth century.

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France
Circa 1840

Gilded bronze

Height : 33,5 cm (13,2 in.) ; Diameter : 38 cm (14,9 in.)

Beautiful chiselled and gilded bronze centerpiece composed of a finely pierced bowl with an openwork rim of remarkable delicacy, decorated with scrolling foliage, arabesques, and interlacing vegetal motifs. The contrast between solid and void enhances the play of light on the gilding, enlivening the surface with a subtle shimmering effect.
The central shaft is adorned with four female figures in the round supporting the bowl. Draped in the antique manner, they evoke the Seasons, each holding vegetal attributes, garlands, flowers, or fruits, symbols of abundance and fertility. Their gentle contrapposto stance, the delicacy of their raised and braided hairstyles, and the fluidity of their drapery reflect the classicizing aesthetic of the Florentine Renaissance, here reinterpreted through the academic lens of the 19th century. It rests on a square base with cut sides, terminating in four foliate clasps ending in scrolls.

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Bronze-caster (active from 1831 to 1864)

Pair of « Cupids »  jardinières 

Signed H. PICARD

France – Circa 1860

Gilded bronze

Height : 20,5 cm (8 in.) ; Length :  64 cm (25,2 in.)  ; Width : 37 cm (14,5 in.)

A fine pair of oval jardinieres in chiselled and gilded bronze, with inner liners. They are adorned in relief and enhanced by a subtle interplay of burnished and matte finishes, featuring leafy scrolls, asymmetrical volutes, shells, and clasps structuring the composition in a centered symmetrical rhythm. At the center stand out two winged cupids, rendered in the round, entwined in a tender embrace. Their supple modeling, full fleshy forms, rounded facial features, and curly hair reflect a desire for naturalism tempered by academic idealization. A second pair of cupids, arranged as pendants, repeat the same gesture. They surmount a medallion depicting Venus.
The lateral handles, pierced and asymmetrical, unfold into broad vegetal scrolls populated with flowers and foliage, in a distinctly Rocaille spirit. The base, composed of leafy scrollwork resting on small discreet supports, lends the ensemble a visual lightness despite the richness of the decoration.

The decorative vocabulary draws upon the Louis XV style in the dynamism of its lines and the abundance of scrollwork, while the overall composition, strictly axial and balanced, reveals a rationality inherited from Neoclassicism. This synthesis is characteristic of nineteenth-century Parisian bronziers, within the context of the revived taste for the eighteenth century under the Second Empire.

The theme of cupids refers to an iconography of ancient origin, reinterpreted during the Renaissance and widely disseminated in the French decorative arts. A symbol of love, abundance, or domestic felicity, their presence is particularly suited to a jardinière, an object associated with the cultivation of flowers and the ornamentation of bourgeois interiors. Intended to hold floral arrangements, ornamental plants or fruits, theses jardinieres belonged to a type of display furniture, likely conceived for a salon or boudoir. It testifies to the taste for spectacular pieces, both functional and sculptural, that contributed to the staging of domestic luxury.

Biography

Henri Picard (active 1831–1864), gilder and bronzier, established himself in Paris at 6 rue de Jarente from 1831 to 1839, then at 10 rue de la Perle from 1840 to 1864. He carried out the gilding of the Petits Appartements of Napoleon III at the Louvre Palace. He produced a wide variety of works, such as a Japonist inkwell and Pompeian-style centrepieces. Henri Picard earned his reputation for the exceptional quality of his jardinières and fireplace garnitures.

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Goldsmith (1824-2015)

Pair of ice water pitchers

USA – Circa 1880

Base numbered 140 and inscribed MFD &PLATED BY REED & BARTON

Pitchers numbered and inscribed PAT FEB 24 1880, PATENTED AUG 4 1868 et MAY 13.1879

Silver-plated metal

Total height : 42 cm (16,5 in.) ; Diameter base : 28 cm (11 in.)

These two silver-plated metal pitchers display the characteristic morphology of American ice water pitchers from the late 19th century. Their conical form, slightly flared toward the base, rests on a broad circular foot decorated with engraved vegetal friezes and concentric bands. Each pitcher is set on an articulated tilting stand, allowing the liquid to be poured without lifting the entire object, an innovation typically associated with American manufacture. The body is adorned with engraved and stamped decoration featuring geometric and stylized floral motifs, along with a frieze of cupids in the lower section. The conical lid, topped with a spherical finial decorated with flowers, is encircled by a discreet beaded frieze surmounting a band ornamented with cupids riding chariots. The lateral uprights, composed of double rods, support the body of the pitcher by means of richly chased articulated pivots. The structural elements display a high level of ornamental refinement, combining straight and circular lines, reflecting the Victorian taste for decorative abundance while maintaining industrial symmetry.

According to the catalogs preserved at the Museum of American Silver (Taunton, MA) and the reproductions published in Rainwater & Redfield (2001), models no. 140 and no. 2027 appear in the series “Ice Water Pitchers with Tilting Stand” produced between 1878 and 1884 and correspond to the large-size examples of the “Deluxe Tilting Ice Pitchers.”

The patent of August 4, 1868 concerns a spring-loaded tilting mechanism introduced between 1869 and 1870, while the patents of May 13, 1879 and February 24, 1880 relate to two filings concerning the hinges and the double-walled insulating lining, which came into use specifically after 1880.

historical and stylistic context

Ice water pitchers constitute a typology characteristic of American silverware in the post–Civil War period (circa 1865–1890). Designed to keep water cool by means of an internal double wall (often of pewter or nickel), they were among the display pieces found in bourgeois parlors, symbolizing both technical modernity and social status.

Stylistically, these pitchers belong to the American Victorian style, marked by an eclectic fusion of Neo-Gothic, Neo-Renaissance, and Orientalist influences. The geometrization of friezes, the juxtaposition of naturalistic and symbolic ornament, and the overall symmetrical composition reflect the rise of an ornamented industrial aesthetic.

Biography

Founded in 1824 by Isaiah Reed and Henry G. Barton in Taunton, Massachusetts, the firm of Reed & Barton became, in the 19th century, one of the most important American manufacturers of silver and silver-plated wares.
Its innovations in electroplating and mechanical casting enabled large-scale production that was both artistic and functional. The firm’s output is distinguished by the quality of its electroplated finishes and the integration of patented elements.

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Bronze-caster (1815-1903)
(attributed to)

« The Marmots » Centerpiece

France
Circa 1840

Gilded bronze

Height : 39,5 cm (15,5 in.) ; Diameter : 32,5 cm (12,8 in.) ; Base : 30 x 30 cm (11,8 x 11,8 in.)

Elegant Louis-Philippe period centerpiece, with rich Renaissance-inspired chiseled and gilded bronze decoration. Made up of a bowl decorated with interlacing, lined with a zinc basin resting on a pedestal decorated with palmettes around which 3 marmots placed on scrolls rotate, extended by 3 medallions in imitation of cut leather centered with a cabochon that can accommodate a coat of arms or a monogram. The whole ends with a tripod base decorated with garlands of fruit and leafy scrolls.

The design of this centerpiece, of high quality, is attributed Michel Liénard (1810-1870), , collaborated regularly with Guillaume Grohé, from 1839 to around 1855. His patrons included the goldsmith François-Désiré Froment-Meurice (1802-1855), notably for the toilet of the Duchess of Parma, preserved at the Musée d’Orsay, and the organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1811-1899). This highly talented designer and sculptor was awarded the Legion of Honor in 1851.

Historical and artistic context

Centers and naves of tables are attested in France from the Middle Ages in order to present spices and other condiments brought from distant lands around the Mediterranean or from the trade of the Silk Roads. The importance of their presence on prestigious tables will be confirmed throughout the decorative arts, evolving during the 19th century in centerpieces, becoming a central element of decoration.

Biography

Guillaume Denière (Paris, 1815-1903) studied art under the direction of the renowned French ornemanist Aimé Chenavard (1798-1838) and the architect Henri Labrouste (1801-1875). He took over from his father, established since 1804 at n°15, rue Vivienne in Paris. The firm is prosperous, with four hundred workers satisfying the numerous orders from king Louis Philippe and wealthy private clients. Following in his father’s footsteps, the son produced bronzes for furniture, candelabras, clocks and table centerpieces. He collaborated with numerous artists including Carrier-Belleuse (1848-1913) and Constant Sévin (1821-1888). He delivered several clocks (Genius of the Arts, Woman reading with a dog) for the Tuileries Palace in 1852. The table centerpieces, supple and ingenious in style, as testified by that of the Duc d’Orléans (1842) were acclaimed by the critics. His works were very often remarked at the Universal Exhibitions, to such an extent that Emperor Napoleon IIIrd bought a mantel garniture at the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris. His fame spread around the world. In 1854, he delivered a spectacular bronze centerpiece to the Russian Ambassador Kisselef, as well as decorative bronzes for the vice-king of Egypt, Saïd Pacha, in 1862, and the King of Cambodia, Norodom Ist (Screen of the Throne room).

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Bronze-caster (1815-1903)
(attributed to)                                                                   

« Cupid » Bowl

France
Circa 1870

Gilded and silvered bronze, Crystal

Height : 23 cm (9 in.) ; Length : 46,5 cm (18,3 in.) ; Depth : 34 cm (13,4 in.)

Beautiful oval-shaped bowl with flared edges, in engraved crystal with floral interlacing decoration. It is enclosed in an elegant openwork frame in chiseled and gilded bronze with engraved foliage decoration extended by a beaded piedouche. The whole rests on a quadrilobed base, on which sit two Atlantean cupids in silvered bronze holding a drape, decorated on one side with a monogrammed cartouche and on the other with a palmette.

Biography

Guillaume Denière (Paris, 1815-1903) studied art under the direction of the renowned French ornemanist Aimé Chenavard (1798-1838) and the architect Henri Labrouste (1801-1875). He took over from his father, established since 1804 at n°15, rue Vivienne in Paris. The firm is prosperous, with four hundred workers satisfying the numerous orders from king Louis Philippe and wealthy private clients. Following in his father’s footsteps, the son produced bronzes for furniture, candelabras, clocks and table centerpieces. He collaborated with numerous artists including Carrier-Belleuse (1848-1913) and Constant Sévin (1821-1888). He delivered several clocks (Genius of the Arts, Woman reading with a dog) for the Tuileries Palace in 1852. The table centerpieces, supple and ingenious in style, as testified by that of the Duc d’Orléans (1842) were acclaimed by the critics. His works were very often remarked at the Universal Exhibitions, to such an extent that Emperor Napoleon III^rd bought a mantel garniture at the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris. His fame spread around the world. In 1854, he delivered a spectacular bronze centerpiece to the Russian Ambassador Kisselef, as well as decorative bronzes for the vice-king of Egypt, Saïd Pacha, in 1862, and the King of Cambodia, Norodom Ist (Screen of the Throne room).

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Earthenware Manufacture (c. 1836-1847)

Japanese Style Table Service

England
Circa 1840

Model n°2618

Earthenware Imperial Stone

Charming earthenware part table service composed of 10 small plates, 2 square dishes, 3 round dishes, 2 rectangular dishes, with polychrome decoration enhanced with gold representing on the basin a bouquet of flowers in a vase and an incense box. Flowers and ribbons bloom on the wing.

Commentary

William Ridgway Son & Co was an earthenware manufacturer located in Stoke-upon-Trent, England. Working first with his father and brother, William Ridgway later partnered with his son Edward John Ridgway. Leonard Abington joined the firm which became William Ridgway Son & Co. In April 1847, William Ridgway withdrew from the business, Edward John Ridgway and Leonard J Abington continuing as Ridgway & Abington.

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Earthenware Manufacture (1862-1904)

« Fables of la Fontaine » table service

England
Circa 1890

Earthenware

Charming table service consisting of 12 large plates and 4 dessert plates made in ironstone.
Octagonal in shape, each plate illustrates a fable by La Fontaine such as The Crayfish and His Daughter ; The Rooster, the Cat and the Little Mouse ; The Stag Seeing Himself in the Water ; The Turtle and the Two Ducks; The Two Pigeons ; The Frog and the Rat ; The Swallow and the Little Birds ; The Hare and the Frogs ; The Heron.

These creations, made and decorated in England, were imported into France and then distributed by the Grand Dépôt de Porcelaines et Faïences located 21 rue Drouot in Paris.

Commentary

Ironstone is a fine earthenware ceramic similar to porcelain to which feldspar and kaolin are mixed to make it whiter and more resistant.

Thomas C. Brown-Westhead, Moore & Co. was a manufacturer of high-quality, innovative porcelain, earthenware, Victorian majolica, and sanitary ware in Cauldon Place, Stoke-upon-Trent, England, from 1862 until 1904.

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Crystal Manufacture
(attributed to)

Cut-crystal Centerpiece

France
Circa 1880

Crystal, Bronze

Height : 15 cm (5,9 in.) ; Length : 42 cm (16,5 in.) ; Width : 25,5 cm (10 in.)

Elegant oval cut-crystal centerpiece decorated with stylized palmettes on a grid background, resting on a silver patina bronze mount representing blooming branches.

Biography

The famous crystal manufacture of Baccarat, that dates back to the 18^th Century, was awarded its first medal in 1823, during the « Exposition des Produits de l’Industrie » for the « brilliance and the sharpness of its crystal » and became then the most renowned French cristallerie. Baccarat was undoubtedly the only French manufacture, that exhibited steadily and magnificently its products at the various Universal Exhibitions, and especially between 1855 and 1867. In all reports one can read about the « perfection of the material and of its cut ».

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Important Table Service

Czechoslovakia
20th Century

Porcelain

Very important table service composed of 50 white porcelain plates with a gold thread with a lattice pattern. The whole bears a coat of arms depicting an ostrich holding a horseshoe in its beak, surmounting a ducal crown.

Composition :

• 24 plates
• 12 soup plates
• 14 dessert plates

Commentary

Bohemian crystal is a type of glass with a significant amount of lead oxide, as clear as rock crystal that produces a high quality crystal. In the course of the second half of the 14th century, the oldest Czech glassworks were manufacturing nearly pure crystal, with yellow and green reflections, as well as coloured glass, very popular during the Renaissance. Bohemia excelled in crystal manufacturing particularly in the 18^th century through the creativity and the high-level qualification of the workers, leaving in the shade Venetian glassmakers who until then were unrivalled. Many of them came in Western Europe and brought their technics.

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Important Table Glassware Set

Czechoslovakia
20th Century

Crystal

Very important table glassware set composed of 256 glasses, bowls, carafes and fruit baskets in blown crystal with a diamond point pattern enhanced with gold. The whole bears a coat of arms depicting an ostrich holding a horseshoe in its beak, surmounting a ducal crown.

Composition :

• 18 champagne glasses 
• 8 water glasses 
• 10 bourgogne glasses 
• 8 bordeaux glasses 
• 12 white wine glasses 
• 30 porto glasses 
• 22 fruit juice glasses
• 30 whisky glasses 
• 28 liquor glasses 
• 16 digestive glasses 
• 8 bread plates 
• 12 finger rinse cup 
• 10 broth bowl 
• 28 dessert cups
• 12 jam plates
• 2 carafes 
• 2 fruit baskets

Commentary

Bohemian crystal is a type of glass with a significant amount of lead oxide, as clear as rock crystal that produces a high quality crystal. In the course of the second half of the 14th century, the oldest Czech glassworks were manufacturing nearly pure crystal, with yellow and green reflections, as well as coloured glass, very popular during the Renaissance.
Bohemia excelled in crystal manufacturing particularly in the 18th century through the creativity and the high-level qualification of the workers, leaving in the shade Venetian glassmakers who until then were unrivalled. Many of them came in Western Europe and brought their technics.

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Tea set

France
Circa 1880

Bowl – Height : 11 cm (4,3 in.)
Teapot – Height : 21,5 cm (8,5 in.)

Charming Restauration style Paris porcelain tea set with red and gold amati background, composed of a teapot, five cups with winding handle and their saucer, and a bowl. This set, lined with gold inside, is decorated with medallions representing castles and beautiful properties in countryside landscapes, framed by friezes of golden water leaves and alternating with lyres. The spout of the teapot, with the lid adorned with a frieze of pearls, figures an animal.

biography

Since the discovery of kaolin, needed material for the making of porcelain, porcelain factories also called porcelain manufactures are on the increase in all France and naturally in Paris. Most of those manufactures worked in the 18th century under the protection of a member of the Royal family, such the comte de Provence, future Louis XVIII, who protected the Clignancourt manufacture. But during and the 19th century, numerous pieces did bear no making mark. It was then almost impossible to attribute them to any particular Parisian factory, hence the expression “Paris porcelain” or “Vieux Paris” including all those various productions.

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Crystal Manufacture

Cut-crystal centerpiece

France
Circa 1870

Oval cup : Height : 15 cm (5,9 in.) ; Length : 42 cm (16,5 in.) ; Width : 25 cm (9,8 in.)
Circular cups : Height : 11 cm (4,3 in.) ; Diam. : 25 cm (9,8 in.)

Elegant centerpiece composed of an oval cut-crystal cup and two circular cut-crystal cups decorated with stylized palmettes on a grid background, resting on a silvered bronze mount representing blooming branches.

Between 1764 and 1860, with rare exceptions, the crystal Manufacture of Baccarat doesn’t sign its works. The first paper labels appear in 1860 and represent inside a circle, a carafe surrounded by a goblet and a cup above which is marked BACCARAT.  From 1875, the brand BACCARAT in stick letters and in relief is present on  some blown models and on the bronze parts of the mounts. It’s from 1936 that the carafe, surrounded by a goblet and a cup with BACCARAT marked above, appears systematically on the production.

Biography

The famous crystal manufacture of Baccarat, that dates back to the 18^th Century, was awarded its first medal in 1823, during the « Exposition des Produits de l’Industrie » for the « brilliance and the sharpness of its crystal » and became then the most renowned French cristallerie. Baccarat was undoubtedly the only French manufacture, that exhibited steadily and magnificently its products at the various Universal Exhibitions, and especially between 1855 and 1867. In all reports one can read about the « perfection of the material and of its cut ».

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France
Circa 1880

Porcelain, Gilt Bronze

Height: 15 cm (5,9 in.) ; Width: 16 cm (6,3 in.)

A lovely pair of porcelain glass-coolers with painted medallions and gilded ornaments on a turquoise blue background, mounted on a gilt-bronze base. On the obverse are two painted scenes of childhood representing Summer and Winter, and on the reverse two other medallions with scenes in the manner of François Boucher. Each cooler relies on a gilt-bronze pedestal with a rosette frieze surmounted by a laurel wreath.

This pair of glass-coolers is close to the production of the Sèvres Manufacture.

NB. In a complete table set, the glass-cooler is used to keep one’s glass fresh, and thus the beverage.

Biography

The Sèvres factory of soft-paste porcelain was created, about 1738 at Vincennes by bankers and financiers with the aim of making true or “hard-paste” porcelain, like Meissen did. In 1753 Louis XV, became a major shareholder and the manufactory was transferred to Sèvres, closer to Versailles and the château de Bellevue, acquired by the Marquise de Pompadour. The Marquise took a personal interest in Sèvres activities, and encouraged production. In 1759, Louis XV bought out the other shareholders and Sèvres became the exclusive property of the France Crown. From then, the manufactory mark was a crossed Ls (the royal monogram) together with a letter indicating the year. The period from 1756 to 1779 represents the most successful and prosperous years for the factory. Louis XV, ordered large services for diplomatic and royal presents. The foremost artists, like the painter Boucher or the sculptor Falconet, worked for Sèvres, creating models. Experimentation in order to discover the hard-paste porcelain technic continued, and was discovered after 1769. The factory produced with success both soft-paste and hard-paste porcelain, in developing at the same time new colors: dark blue (bleu lapis) about 1752, turquoise blue (bleu céleste) in 1753, apple green in 1756, rose in 1757, and king’s blue in 1763. These remarkable pieces were usually painted with scenes form engraving by famous painters (François Boucher) or sculptors, with garlands, baskets of flowers and trophies. The Manufacture continued its production in the 19^th century, asking the artists for new models, or taking inspiration from 18^th century pieces, just like our pair of coolers.

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France
Circa 1880

Height : 29 cm (11,4 in.) ; Diam. : 15,5 cm (6,1 in.)

Cut and engraved rock crystal and silvered bronze decor sugar bowl and cover.

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Silversmith
(Late 19th century)

Pair of Jardinières-Candélabras

Signed Boin-Taburet à Paris and numbered 34369 and 34370

France
Circa 1880

Silvered bronze

Height : 25 cm (9 ^3/4 in.) ; Diameter : 34 cm (13 ^1/3 in.)

Lovely pair of Louis XVI style planters with three light arms. Each jardiniere, with their liners  in form of a basket based on a three leafy feet and a lobed base. The inner liners are removable.

biography

The two French goldsmiths George Boin and his son-in-law Emile Taburet created around 1875 in Paris the company Boin-Taburet. They made many silver pieces inspired by the beautiful services of the eighteenth century. At the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1878, Georges Boin presented a “service de toilette” inspired by the work of François-Thomas Germain (1726-1791), and then at the Universal Exhibition of 1889, several epergnes, including one of them executed after drawings by the famous artist Juste-Aurèle Meissonier (1695-1750), as well as tea sets of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. Boin-Taburet firm also exhibited a tureen and platter after Pierre Germain’s one (1645-1684) for the Jockey Club, located then on Scribe street in Paris in 1863. Through its lavish events to various international shows, Boin-Taburet company contributed to the revival styles of the eighteenth century.

bibliography

A. Dunan, The Paris Salons 1895-1914, Objets d’Art et Metalware, vol. V

J. Puiforcat, L’orfèvrerie française et étrangère, Paris, 1981, p. 112.

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