Crystal Manufactory
(attributed to)

Orientalist Chandelier

France
Circa 1890

Gilded, Crystal

Height : 80 cm (31,5 in.) ; Diameter : 60 cm (23,6 in.)

Charming Orientalist chandelier in chiseled and gilded bronze, clear and “ruby” crystal. The shaft consists of six tubular gilded bronze mounts shaped in curves and counter-curves, from which extend six light arms ending in corolla-shaped bobèches and fluted binets. The top is crowned by a spherical globe from which the upper volutes emerge. The entire chandelier is embellished with a network of fine chains with twisted links, from which hang numerous pendants and drops in smooth and cut crystal, both clear and “ruby.” 

The Oriental-inspired style of this chandelier is evident in the complex interweaving of its sinuous lines and in its warm color scheme, which combines the brilliance of gilded bronze with the depth of tinted crystals. This type of design reflected the era’s fascination with a romanticized vision of the Orient, evoking the opulence of Moorish or Ottoman palaces.

Biography

The famous crystal manufacture of Baccarat, that dates back to the 18th 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. Reports of the Universal Exhibition, from 1855 to 1867, talk about the “perfection of the material and of its cut”, considered superior of those from Bohemia or England.

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France
Circa 1880

Patinated and gilded bronze, crystal

Height : 136 cm (53,5 in.) ; Diameter : 115 cm (45,3 in.)

A thirty-six-light Oriental-inspired chandelier in patinated and gilded bronze and cut and faceted crystal, featuring two independent lighting circuits that can be lit together or separately. Centered around a baluster-style shaft adorned with foliage, acanthus leaves, gadroons, and a central element in patinated bronze, fluted and decorated with plant motifs, this splendid chandelier embodies the splendor and opulence of late 19th-century decorative arts.

From the central shaft extend two tiers of light arms in graceful scrollwork, terminating in leafy lampshades and embellished with crystal petals. The cascade of cut crystals is exceptionally rich. From the top, crystal beads, faceted prisms, almond-shaped pendants, and crystal daggers hang in abundance from each arm, each lampshade, and the central structure, creating a dazzling play of light. A sphere of cut crystal crowns the chandelier.

The term “Orientalism” emerged around 1830, although the 17th and 18th centuries had already developed the theme of “Turquerie” with great imagination. This style, steeped in exoticism and picturesque charm, can even be found in the decoration of the private apartments of Marie-Antoinette and the Count of Artois in the late 1780s. But it was truly in the 19th century, with the expedition

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France
Circa 1890

Gilt Bronze, Cloisonné enamel

Height : 67 cm (23,4 in.) ; Length : 69 cm (27,2 in.) ; Width : 54 cm (21,2 in.)

Beautiful pair of gilded bronze and cloisonné enamel wall sconces of Oriental inspiration. Five light arms extend from an elegant central scroll, terminating in bowls decorated with polychrome cloisonné enamel depicting a floral motif of Orientalist inspiration. Each basin is topped by a bobèche, evoking a chalice or a flower. These correspond to the four plant-shaped bells arranged on either side of the central axis, as well as to the budding stem at the top and the rows of pearls. The entire assembly is held in place by a wall hook at the center of an openwork cartouche, which forms the wall sconce itself. Slightly fluted volutes and clasps soften the ends, culminating in delicate blossoming flowers.

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Sculptor-Ornemanist
(1827-1875)

G. Viot et Cie

Compagnie des Marbres Onyx d’Algérie
(active from the 2^nde part of the 19^th Century)

(attributed to)

Orientalist Planter

France
Circa 1870

Enamel, Gilded bronze, Algerian Onyx

Height : 17 cm (6,7 in.) ; Length : 44,5 cm (17,5 in.) ; Depth : 24,5 cm (9,6 in.)

Fine Orientalist planter of rectangular form in Algerian onyx and finely chiselled and gilded bronze. The upper section, shaped in an arabesque profile, is accentuated by a frieze of water leaves. Rectangular recessed cartouches and raised square reserves are set with gilded bronze plaques decorated with stylized cloisonné enamel of Persian inspiration, composed of interlacing patterns and geometric motifs in a vibrant palette of turquoise blues, pinks, and greens. The shorter sides are adorned with molded onyx cabochons embellished with two pointed finials, and the whole rests on four gilt bronze claw feet.

This planter presents itself as a display object characteristic of decorative arts production in the second half of the 19th century, when a taste for exoticism and precious materials was integrated into a historicist and eclectic aesthetic. It reflects the technical refinement and the fascination with Orientalism that defined the Second Empire period.

Biography

The sculptor Eugène Cornu (1827-1899), installed in Paris at N.29 rue Popincourt, after having worked as a designer and then director for the renowned company Tahan (1813-1892), worked closely from 1858 with the « Compagnie des Marbres Onyx d’Algérie », led by Gustave Viot (1828 – 1897) and created by Alphonse Pallu (1808-1880) on June 14th 1858. This company refers to the exploitation of onyx, known since antiquity but rediscovered in 1849 in Oran Province, Algeria, by Del Monte, a marble worker. It opened in 1863 a shop on Boulevard des Italiens N.24, in Paris. In the mid 1860’s, the name of the company changed to “G. Viot & Cie” and produced, after models created by the most well-known sculptors, such as Eugène Cornu, Albert Carrier-Belleuse (1824-1887) (Victoria & Albert Museum, Inv. 9070-1863), Charles Cordier (1827-1905) (Orsay, Inv. RF 2996) ou Louis-Ernest Barrias (1841-1905) (Orsay, Inv. RF 1409), luxurious furniture and art objects, incorporating onyx marble and bronze, with sometimes enamel, a combination then considered as a novelty and become quickly highly prized among wealthy collectors. They showed together on their booth at the 1867 Universal Exhibition held in Paris a fine pair of onyx, bronze and enamel vases and their stands with elephants figures (signed « G. Viot et Cie, Exposition de 1867, Eugène Cornu Inventeur » ; Catalogue Officiel de l’Exposition, groupe III, classe XIV, « meubles de luxe », n°65) for which they won the Gold Medal (Rapports du Jury International, Exposition Universelle de 1867 à Paris, 1868, t. III, groupe III, classe XV, chapitre II, § 2, p°45 & 46). Around 1873, Eugène Cornu became director of the Company and replaced G. Viot, which took then the name of « Société des Onyx d’Algérie E. Cornu et Cie ». Around 1878, the company was then headed to H. Journet from which it took his name. That firm remained opened until the beginning of the 20th century.

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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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Designer & Sculptor (1827-1899)
(attributed to)

Pair of « roll-shaped » Vases

France
Circa 1870

Onyx, Gilded and silvered bronze

Height : 27,5 cm (10,8 in.) ; Width : 16,5 cm (6,5 in.) ; Depth : 15 cm (5,9 in.)

This beautiful pair of roll-shaped vases is composed of cylindrical onyx bodies circled by finely chased bronze mounts with gilt and silvered highlights, creating an elegant chromatic contrast. The upper section is surrounded by an openwork gallery decorated with scrolls and stylized motifs. On each side are attached movable handles adorned with scrolling designs. They rest on circular bases embellished with cherry blossoms, supported by scrolled feet accentuated with floral motifs and stylized leaves.

Through their slender proportions and the masterful combination of onyx and bronze, these vases may be attributed to Eugène Cornu (1827–1899), a Parisian bronze-caster renowned for his creations combining hardstones and high-luxury gilt bronze furnishings. These works fully embody the tradition of prestigious decorative objects intended to adorn salons and bourgeois or aristocratic interiors at the end of the 19th century.

Biography

The sculptor Eugène Cornu (1827-1899), installed in Paris at N.29 rue Popincourt, after having worked as a designer and then director for the renowned company Tahan, worked closely with the « Compagnie des Marbres Onyx d’Algérie », led by Gustave Viot, successor of Alphonse Pallu, at N.24 boulevard des Italiens. They produced luxurious furniture and art objects, incorporating onyx marble and bronze, with sometimes enamel, a combination then considered as a novelty and become quickly highly prized among wealthy collectors. They both showed at the 1867 Universal Exhibition held in Paris a fine pair of onyx, bronze and enamel vases (signed « G. Viot et Cie, Exposition de 1867, Eugène Cornu Inventeur » ; Catalogue Officiel de l’Exposition, groupe III, classe XIV, « meubles de luxe », n°65) for which Cornu and Viot won the Gold Medal (Rapports du Jury International, Exposition Universelle de 1867 à Paris, 1868, t. III, groupe III, classe XV, chapître II, § 2, p°45 & 46). Around 1873, Eugène Cornu became director of the Company, which took then the name of « Société des Onyx d’Algérie E. Cornu et Cie ». The name of this company refering to the quarries of onyx the firm exploited near Oran, Algeria, remained opened until the begining of the 20th century.

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Sculptor (1822-1912)

Val d’Osne

Bronze-caster

Pair of “Nubians” torcheres

France
Early 20^th century

Patinated and gilded bronze

Total height : 234 cm (92,1 in.) ; Base height : 29 cm (11,4 in.) ; width : 38 cm (15 in.) ; Depth : 45 cm (17,7 in.)

Exceptional pair of patinated bronze Nubian figures with golden highlights. Each woman, draped in antique-style garments, stands gracefully with gilt anklets and her arms raised elegantly above her head to support a lighted torch. Their serene faces, marked by great softness, feature lowered eyelids and hair held in place by a gilt ribbon. The drapery, gathered with a gilt belt, emphasizes the subtle contrapposto of their stance.

Each figure stands on a circular base.

An edition number is visible on one of the bases (6471), consistent with the practices of the Val d’Osne foundry; a circular workshop stamp is also present.

Model of candelabra by Mathurin Moreau, illustrated in the catalogue of the Société anonyme des hauts-fourneaux et fonderies du Val d’Osne.

Biography

Mathurin Moreau was a major 19th-century French sculptor, celebrated for his academic and naturalistic style. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts and winner of the Prix de Rome, he exhibited regularly at the Salons from 1848 onward. His works often depict allegorical or feminine figures. He collaborated with many leading art foundries, including Barbedienne and the Val d’Osne, and received several distinctions, notably a medal of honor at the 1878 Exposition Universelle. His sculptures adorn numerous monuments and gardens in France and abroad.

The Val d’Osne Foundry, established in 1836 by Jean-Pierre-Victor André, became one of the most renowned French art foundries of the 19th century. Specializing in ornamental cast iron and bronze, it produced an extensive catalogue of statues, fountains, candelabra, and architectural elements. Known for the high quality of its castings and for collaborations with leading sculptors (including Mathurin Moreau, Carrier-Belleuse, and Pradier), the foundry exported worldwide and earned numerous awards at the Expositions Universelles. It remains a reference in the history of architectural ornamentation and urban decoration of the Second Empire and the Belle Époque. 

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Bronze-caster (1810-1892)
(attributed to)

Orientalist Chandelier

France
Circa 1880

Gilded bronze, Enamel

Height : 68 cm (26,8 in.) ; Diameter : 19 cm (7,5 in.)

Elegant gilded bronze and polychrome cloisonné enamels chandelier with a single central light, connected to an enameled star-shaped ceiling canopy by chains that support an openwork enameled crown set with ruby-red cabochons. The whole is finished with a frosted bowl engraved with stars.

The red cabochons recall the precious stones of Byzantine icons or Gothic reliquaries, suggesting a liturgical chandelier; or, if not, it faithfully reflects the “modernized” Byzantine liturgical style that was highly fashionable in France at the end of the 19th century. The cloisonné enamels also add an Orientalist touch, commonly found in the productions of Parisian workshops of this period, such as the Barbedienne workshops.

Biography

Born in 1810, died in Paris in 1892, Ferdinand Barbedienne, the most important caster of bronze pieces of art during the second half of the 19th Century, created and directed in Paris one of the major artistic founderies of his time. Barbedienne specialised in classical reproductions, whose models were exposed in famous European museums. Their illustrated catalogues included many diverse objects such as busts, ornemental sculpture (clocks, candelabras, cups) sometimes even life-sized and also bronzes for furniture. Apart from his own production, Barbedienne worked for the most renowned sculptors such as Barrias, Clésinger and Carrier-Belleuse. All his works were highly esteemed and he, himself honoured by contemporary critics. At the London exhibition in 1851 Barbedienne’s firm won two « Council medals ». At the 1855 Universal Exhibition, he won a medal of honour. The success of Barbedienne’s firm brought him many official commissions, such in about 1860, as Barbedienne supplied bronzes for furniture for the Pompeian Villa of Prince Napoléon-Joseph, located avenue Montaigne in Paris. At the London Universal Exhibition of 1862 Barbedienne won medals in three different categories : Furniture, Silversmith work and Artistic bronzes. Barbedienne was made an officer of the Légion d’Honneur in 1867 and Commander in 1878 when he was compared with « a prince of industry and the king of bronze casting ». His glory did not decline with the passage of the time for at the Universal Exhibition of 1889 the critics thanked Barbedienne for the example he set for other bronze-casters by the perfection of his bronzes.

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Bronze-caster (1810-1892)
(attributed to)

Neo-Byzantine Chandelier

France
Circa 1880

Gilded bronze, Enamel

Height : 61 cm (24 in.) ; Diameter : 25 cm (9,8 in.)

Elegant neo-Byzantine chandelier of geometric form with three light arms, in gilded bronze and polychrome cloisonné enamels. The enameled frieze decoration recalls Byzantine enamels, a well-known source of inspiration for F. Barbedienne workshops. The shaft, ending with a point, is adorned in its upper section with small chains and gilt spheres, and supports the light arms decorated with crosses and scrolling foliage. The cloisonné enamels, inspired by Byzantine screens, add an orientalist touch characteristic of the productions of Parisian workshops in the late 19th century.

Biography

Born in 1810, died in Paris in 1892, Ferdinand Barbedienne, the most important caster of bronze pieces of art during the second half of the 19th Century, created and directed in Paris one of the major artistic founderies of his time. Barbedienne specialised in classical reproductions, whose models were exposed in famous European museums. Their illustrated catalogues included many diverse objects such as busts, ornemental sculpture (clocks, candelabras, cups) sometimes even life-sized and also bronzes for furniture. Apart from his own production, Barbedienne worked for the most renowned sculptors such as Barrias, Clésinger and Carrier-Belleuse. All his works were highly esteemed and he, himself honoured by contemporary critics. At the London exhibition in 1851 Barbedienne’s firm won two « Council medals ». At the 1855 Universal Exhibition, he won a medal of honour. The success of Barbedienne’s firm brought him many official commissions, such in about 1860, as Barbedienne supplied bronzes for furniture for the Pompeian Villa of Prince Napoléon-Joseph, located avenue Montaigne in Paris. At the London Universal Exhibition of 1862 Barbedienne won medals in three different categories : Furniture, Silversmith work and Artistic bronzes. Barbedienne was made an officer of the Légion d’Honneur in 1867 and Commander in 1878 when he was compared with « a prince of industry and the king of bronze casting ». His glory did not decline with the passage of the time for at the Universal Exhibition of 1889 the critics thanked Barbedienne for the example he set for other bronze-casters by the perfection of his bronzes. 

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Sculptors and Bronze-chasers
(attributed to)

Pair of Orientalist Candlesticks

France
Circa 1890

Enamel, Gilded bronze, Onyx

Height : 17,5 cm (6,9 in.) ; Base : 7,5 x 7,5 cm (2,9 x 2,9 in.)

Charming pair of orientalist candlesticks in Algerian ribboned onyx and gilded bronze, with a barrel in the shape of a molded column. The binet, the central ring and the square base are decorated with cloisonné enamels with floral motifs. The whole rests on four beaded toupie feet.

Biography

Paul Louchet (1854-1936), a French artist, worked at the beginning at chiselling bronze pieces, before becoming President of the Bronze Manufacturers Society, located in Paris. Sculptor and painter, as well, he collaborated with his brother, Charles, and together participated to the Chicago Universal Exhibition in 1893, with a great success : « Il n’y a pas de plus belle ou plus magnifique exposition à Chicago qui attire l’attention universelle que celle dans la section des fabricants de Paris. Il s’agit du stand des frères Louchet de Paris, fabricants de porcelaines, de bronzes et d’objets d’art émaillés. Les produits de cette entreprise représentent sans aucun doute dans la conception, la fabrication et la finition le plus haut niveau dans l’art décoratif. » Then, turning to Art Nouveau style, they collaborate with Louis Majorelle, René Lalique and the Daum brothers.

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Morocco
Circa 1900

Patinated and gilded Iron, Glass

Height : 130 cm (51,2 in.) ; Diameter : 76 cm (29,9 in.)

Rare Moroccan chandelier in patinated and gilded openwork iron with eighteen lights, composed of a baluster shaft ending in a hexagonal crown surrounded by a gallery and decorated with 12 alternating amber and red illuminating glasses and a large central opaque verrine enhanced with gold surrounded by 6 illuminating verrines arranged in a star pattern around.
The whole is attached to the canopy by three chains decorated with stars and starry crescent moons.

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Designer and Art object Editor
(Active from 1799 to 1885)
(Attributed to)

Covered vase with Atlantes

France
Circa 1880

Bronze

Height : 47 cm (18,5 in.) ; Width : 25 cm (9,8 in.) ; Depth : 22,5 cm (8,8 in.)

Beautiful ovoid-shaped covered vase in patinated bronze with golden highlights, with rich rotating decoration in relief. The lid, symbolizing Night, is decorated with a turtle, a moon, a dragon flying among the clouds ; and the belly, symbolizing the Day, is decorated with a rising sun, mountainous landscapes, and cherry tree branches.
The whole, topped with a flamed seed, is supported by three African-type atlantes dressed in a loincloth.

historical and artistic context

This work of art combines elements of Japonism and Orientalism, two important movements representative of the taste of the time for exoticism. Indeed, this taste for Chinoiserie was revived at the end of the 19th century following the Franco-English military campaign against the imperial army in China in 1860. Napoleon III’s French troops bring back part of the treasure from the Summer Palace, constituting in 1863 the famous Chinese Museum of Empress Eugénie at the Palace of Fontainebleau. First in painting, the movement quickly spread to decorative arts and furniture.
This craze for the Far East is encouraged in France by the diffusion of Chinese ornamental works renewing the interior decoration of the luxurious Parisian residences of a clientele eager for something new.
It was also under the Second Empire that the Orientalists were propelled to the forefront. Emperor Napoleon III, aristocrats as well as wealthy bourgeois in search of exoticism fill the order books of the most renowned artists. It is then not the predominantly academic style of the Orientalists that counts but above all the exoticism that they show to a fascinated public.

biography

Alphonse Giroux and Company, famous curiosity and luxury goods shop was situated in Paris, at No. 7 rue du Coq-Saint-Honoré and in business from the time of the Consulate until the end of the Second Empire. The company was founded by Francois-Simon-Alphonse and continued in 1838 by his two sons, Alphonse-Gustave (1810-1886) and André (1801-1879). The father became a close associate of the royal family and specialized in the manufacture of refined items for gifts. Kings Louis XVIII and then Charles X were both supplied with gifts for « The Children of France » by Giroux. Making progressively small furniture, they were mentionned for the first time in 1837 in the class « cabinet-makers » in the Paris Almanach. It was Alphonse-Gustave, however, who really expanded the activities of the firm as is testified by the report of the jury at the 1839 Products of Industry Exhibition awarding him another silver medal. Alphonse was also quick to participate in the famous and soon figured among the best in the luxury goods business. After buying a writing desk at the 1855 Universal Exhibition Napoleon IIIrd bought several other pieces of furniture, candelabras and clocks from Giroux for the Compiègne Palace. In 1857 Alphonse Giroux transferred his shop to No. 43, boulevard des Capucines where he continued to do business until 1867, when he ceded the company to Duvinage and Harinkouck.

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Attributed to

Pair of Oriental Style Amphora Vases

France
Circa 1880

Porcelain

Height: 38,5 cm (15,15 in.) ; Width : 25 cm (9,8 in.) ; Depth : 11,5 cm (4,5 in.)

Beautiful pair of amphora vases in white and blue porcelain, richly decorated on each side with beautiful polychrome floral compositions framed by handles with openwork motifs of oriental scrolls inspired by Alhambra decorations. The necks and feet are underlined by gilded fillets and embellished with interlacing and a coat of arms featuring a sword.

Porcelaine de Paris

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 the 18th and 19th century, numerous pieces did bear no making mark. It was then almost imposssible to attribute them to any particular Parisian factory, hence the expression “Paris porcelain” or “Vieux Paris” including all those various productions.

Bibliography

Faïence et Porcelaine de Paris XVIIIe-XIXe siècles, Régine de Plinval de Guillebon, Ed. Faton, 1995

La Porcelaine Française, Claude Dauguet et Dorothée Guilleme – Brulon, Editions Ch. Massin

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France
Circa 1870

Patinated and Gilded Bronze 

H: 10,5 cm (4,1 in.) ; L: 40,5 cm (16 in.) ; W : 22,5 cm (8,9 in.)

Elegant Orientalist style rectangular planter in patinated and gilded bronze, resting on four lion paws. It is adorned with decorative friezes of water leaves, stylized floral medallions and palmettes on a scattering of flowers.

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France
Circa 1890

Wood, Mother-Of-Pearl

Height : 50 cm (19,7 in.) ; Sides : 31 x 31 cm (12,2 x 12,2 in.)

Charming Oriental style corner wall shelf in carved wood with moucharabieh decoration and mother-of-pearl pastilles on the edge of the shelf.

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Sculptor-Ornemanist
(1821-1888)

 (Attributed to)

F. Barbedienne

Bronze-Caster
(1810-1892)

Byzantine Sweet box

France
Circa 1880

Signed F. Barbedienne

Gilt bronze, polychrome cloisonné enamel

Height : 14,5 cm (5,7 in) ; Sides : 16 x 16 cm (6,3 in)

Precious sweet box in gilt bronze with polychrome cloisonné enamel decoration. It rest son four foliage claw feet with lion heads and is adorned with polychrome cloisonné enamel Byzantine decoration

The high quality of the enamel is typical of Barbedienne’s production. It enhances this pair of covered cups especially with the wide range of colours used to create the decoration. The enamel is smooth and shiny and shows many shades to form the Byzantine decoration. The partitioned cloisonné is finely engraved and contributes to the decoration by adopting vegetal and foliage shapes.

The model

This sweet box is from a well-known model of the Barbedienne Company. Indeed a similar covered-cup was purchased in 1867 – certainly during the Paris Universal Exhibition – by the Österreichisches Museum für angewandte Kunst of Vienna (Inv. –NrEm15/1867). Some years after, during the 1873 Vienna Universal Exhibition, Ferdinand Barbedienne presented on his stand an identical cup reproduced in Kunst und Kunstgewerbe auf der Wiener Weltausstellung, 1873. It shows the same foliage feet and the same enamel decoration with flowered scrolls and Byzantine motifs.

Covered cup of the 1873 Universal Exhibition,

(reproduced in Kunst und Kunstgewerbe auf der Wiener Weltausstellung, p. 441)

Barbedienne and the cloisonné enamel

Ferdinand Barbedienne continously innovated and he revived the use of enamel on art works during the second half of the 19th century. The Sèvres Manufacture enamel workshop had ever tried it in 1854-1855, but Barbedienne was the one who succeeded to join enamel to an industrial decorative objects production. From 1858 “At Mr Barbedienne’s, enamels in copper ornaments have got their former prestige back” (Les bronzes de la Maison Barbedienne, C. Simon, in L’Art du XIXe siècle, 1858, n°21, p. 252). The Barbedienne Company had now an enamel workshop where objects ornamented with oriental style or medieval style enamels were made. Four years after, Barbedienne’s cloisonné opaque enamels are noticed during the 1862 Universal Exhibition. Barbedienne was awarded three medals in three different categories : ‘Furniture’, ‘Silversmith work’ and ‘Artistic bronzes’ especially for the combination of bronze with enamel (oriental style cup, Compiègne Castle, Inv. C. 71-122).

The technique used to make these covered cups is different from the traditional one used for cloisonné enamel. In fact in Barbedienne’s productions the cloisonné is not welded to the object but is directly cast with it. The cloisonné forms part of the object and this innovation enabled to have a more refined and softer decoration.

The colours used by the Barbedienne Company also relate to the success of its enamels and the shades are praised as they “have more than the others these qualities of sparkle and richness that the range of colours of Gothic and Chinese enamellers also have” (in Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1^er décembre 1862, p. 542). This was made to create original enamelled creations either with Chinese or Japanese inspiration with a naturalistic decoration, or with Persian or Indian inspiration with a more stylized decoration, like on these covered cups.

Biographies

Louis-Constant Sévin (1821-1888) : he was first trained to design and sculpture with the sculptor Antoine-André Marneuf (1796-1865). In 1839 he went into partnership with two sculptors, Phénix and Joyau, and he created designs for famous goldsmiths such as Denière, Froment-Meurice and Morel. He fled to London during the 1848 Revolution where he worked at Morel, with whom he exhibited art works at the 1851 Universal Exhibition. Back to France he took p

art to the 1855 Universal Exhibition by creating designs to the Limoges porcelain makers Jouhanneaud and Dubois. Since then he worked as head decorator at Ferdinand Barbedienne’s Company. He produced a lot of works : he designed the bronze decoration for the Paiva’s Hotel (on the Champs-Elysées avenue) and created models for Ferdinand Barbedienne. He participated in different exhibitions and was awarded at the 1862 London Universal Exhibition for the artistical excellence of the furniture items he designed and which are exhibited by Barbedienne. He also received a Gold Medal as collaborator at the 1863 Central Union of Decorative Arts Exhibition.

Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) : he created and headed at n°30 boulevard Poissonnière in Paris one of the most famous 19^th century artistic bronze casting companies. Awarded with two Council Medals at the 1851 London Universal Exhibition, the Barbedienne company won at the 1855 Paris Universal Exhibition a medal of honour and eleven cooperator’s medals for the work of his co-workers, such as his designer Louis-Constant Sévin (1821-1888) and his chaser Désiré Attarge (c.1820-1878). At the London Universal Exhibition of 1862 Barbedienne won medals in three different categories : ‘Furniture’, ‘Silversmith work’ and ‘Artistic bronzes’, combining for some pieces with onyx marble and enamel. Barbedienne was not only, with the Parisian silversmith Christofle, one of the leaders of the French Aesthetic Movement in decorative arts, but also the first artist to produce the famous cloisonné enamels (see « L’émaillerie moderne », Gazette des Beaux-Arts, Alfred Darcel, t. XXIV, janv.-juin 1868, p° 75-84). At the 1867 Universal Exhibition in his capacity as member of and speaker for the Jury, he was non-contestant, but exhibited nevertheless with great success cloisonné and champlevé enamelled pieces. Barbedienne was made an Officer of the Légion d’Honneur in 1867 and Commander in 1878 when he was compared with “a prince of industry and the king of bronze casting”. His glory did not decline with the passage of the time for at the Universal Exhibition of 1889 the critics thanked Barbedienne for the example he set for other bronze-casters by the perfection of his bronzes.

Bibliography

– L’Art en France sous le Second Empire, Exposition Grand-Palais, Paris, 1979, p. 148-149.

– L’émaillerie moderne, Alfred Darcel, in Gazette des Beaux-Arts, t. XXIV (janvier-juin1868), p. 76.

– Les bronzes de la Maison Barbedienne, C. Simon, in L’Art du XIXe siècle, 1858, n°21, p. 252.

– Der Traum von Glück : Die Kunst des Historismus in Europa, Ausstellung im Künstlerhaus und der Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Wien, 1996-1997, p. 599-600.

– Kunst und Kunstgewerbe auf der Wiener Weltausstellung, 1873, Von Lützow, Leipzig, 1875, p. 441.

– Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1^er décembre 1862, p. 542.

Museology

– Covered cup probably exhibited at the 1867 Universal Exhibition, preserved at the Osterreichisches Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna (Inv. –NrEm 15/1867).

– Covered cup, preserved at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh (Inv. 1999.49.3.A-B).

– Covered cup so-called sweet-box, preserved at the Musée de l’Evêché – Musée de l’Email, Limoges (Inv. 2006.15.1).

Covered cup so-called sweet-box

Musée de l’Evêché – Musée de l’Email, Limoges.

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Sculptor-Ornemanist
(1827-1875)

G. Viot et Cie

Compagnie des Marbres Onyx d’Algérie
(active from the 2^nde part of the 19^th Century)

(attributed to)

Orientalist Chandelier

France
Circa 1870

Enamel, Gilded bronze, Algerian onyx

Height : 125 cm (49,2 in.) ; Diameter : 110 cm (43,3 in.)

Rare orientalist chandelier with 24 lights, in Algerian onyx, chiseled and gilded bronze and cloisonné enamel. It consists of a shaft formed by a baluster-shaped vase in onyx decorated with a rotating frieze in polychrome cloisonné enamel decorated with vegetal foliage topped with gilded bronze acanthus leaves, enameled cabochons, all topped with an onyx sphere. It is lit by four winding branches ending in an enameled cabochon distributing four bouquets of four lights surmounted by a flame, alternating with four two-light branches. The whole is richly adorned with many Baccarat cut crystal pendants, garlands and stars. It ends with a flattened sphere in onyx ending in a gilded bronze.

View of the stand of the Société des Marbres et Onyx d’Algérie, Paris Universal Exhibition, 1878
(reproduced in Les Merveilles de l’Exposition de 1878, p. 561)

Biography

The sculptor Eugène Cornu (1827-1899), installed in Paris at N.29 rue Popincourt, after having worked as a designer and then director for the renowned company Tahan (1813-1892), worked closely from 1858 with the « Compagnie des Marbres Onyx d’Algérie », led by Gustave Viot (1828 – 1897) and created by Alphonse Pallu (1808-1880) on June 14th 1858. This company refers to the exploitation of onyx, known since antiquity but rediscovered in 1849 in Oran Province, Algeria, by Del Monte, a marble worker. It opened in 1863 a shop on Boulevard des Italiens N.24, in Paris. In the mid 1860’s, the name of the company changed to “G. Viot & Cie” and produced, after models created by the most well-known sculptors, such as Eugène Cornu, Albert Carrier-Belleuse (1824-1887) (Victoria & Albert Museum, Inv. 9070-1863), Charles Cordier (1827-1905) (Orsay, Inv. RF 2996) ou Louis-Ernest Barrias (1841-1905) (Orsay, Inv. RF 1409), luxurious furniture and art objects, incorporating onyx marble and bronze, with sometimes enamel, a combination then considered as a novelty and become quickly highly prized among wealthy collectors. They showed together on their booth at the 1867 Universal Exhibition held in Paris a fine pair of onyx, bronze and enamel vases and their stands with elephants figures (signed « G. Viot et Cie, Exposition de 1867, Eugène Cornu Inventeur » ; Catalogue Officiel de l’Exposition, groupe III, classe XIV, « meubles de luxe », n°65) for which they won the Gold Medal (Rapports du Jury International, Exposition Universelle de 1867 à Paris, 1868, t. III, groupe III, classe XV, chapitre II, § 2, p°45 & 46). Around 1873, Eugène Cornu became director of the Company and replaced G. Viot, which took then the name of « Société des Onyx d’Algérie E. Cornu et Cie ». Around 1878, the company was then headed to H. Journet from which it took his name. That firm remained opened until the beginning of the 20th century.

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Ceramist
(1855-1948)

(Attributed to)

Oriental style chandelier

France
Circa 1890

Ceramic, Bronze, Brass

Height : 70 cm (27,5 in.) ; Diameter : 30 cm (11,8 in.)

Enameled ceramic chandelier with flared border underlined by a frieze of stylized foliage, decorated on the body with Arabic characters on a light blue background, alternating with tracery cartouches on a dark blue background, and white and blue interlacing on the underside which ends in a point. Illuminating with one light, it is suspended by three chains with diamond-shaped links in patinated bronze ending in brass-plated spheres.

Biography

Edmond Lachenal (1855–1948) was a French potter. He was trained in Theodore Deck’s studio, starting when he was 15. At the 1873 World’s Fair in Vienna, Lachenal’s work as a decorator for Deck received an Honorable Mention. Following this award, he became director of Deck’s decoration atelier. In 1889, he received his first gold medal at the World’s Fair in Paris for his work with faience wares in the style of Theodore Deck. These works used bright, polychrome glazes, a feature of his work that would remain constant throughout his career. By 1894, Lachenal begun casting sculptors’ work in stoneware with mat glazes. The best known of his collaborations was with the Swedish-born sculptor Agnès de Frumerie (1869–1937). She produced Symbolist figurative sculptures and decorations for the vases. Their collaboration continued until at least 1907. Lachenal also produced faience editions of vases by Hector Guimard in the same organic style as the Paris Metro entrances in 1902.

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Sculptor (1829-1905)
(attributed to)

The Japanese and the Oriental women

France
Circa 1900

Metal

Height : 171 cm (67,3 in.) ; Width : 93 cm (36,6 in.) ; Depth : 8 cm (3,1 in.)

Important pair of metal with double patina plaques representing an Oriental woman and a Japanese woman, both dressed in traditional outfits, during the tea ceremony. Each is presented in a black and gold painted wooden frame.

Biography

Louis Hottot (1829-1905) is a French sculptor. In 1885, he participated for the first time in the prestigious Salon des Artistes Français and exhibited at the Salon every year until 1898. Oriental scenes and characters are his favorite subjects.

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France
Circa 1900

Crystal, Gilded bronze

Height : 90 cm (35,4 in.) ; Diameter : 60 cm (23,6 in.)

Elegant Oriental style chandelier in pink tinted crystal and gilded bronze with six light arms, composed of an illuminating shaft formed by two superimposed cylinders, all decorated with geometric and leafy golden threads. The light-arms, following the base of the shaft, are adorned with crystal mirzas. Suspended by a small crown of leaves adorned with crystals, it ends with a crystal pendant with interlacing decoration.

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France
Circa 1910

Patinated and gilded bronze, Tinted glass

Height : 135 cm (51,1 in.) ; Diameter : 100 cm (39,4 in.)

Important pair of oriental style chandeliers in gilded and patinated bronze suspended by six articulated chains reunited by an elegant roof light. Circular in shape, they have a serie of twelve light-arms around the crown and twelve red verrines diffusing a subdued light.
They are composed of cupolas covered with partly openwork domes decorated with stylized croissants. The whole is richly decorated with a geometrical decoration of Ottoman inspiration, evoking the ornamental and architectural repertoire of the objects and furniture decorating the mosques.
Although of French production, the style and decorative motifs of these chandeliers suggest that they were destined for the oriental market.

The word « Orientalism » appears around 1830, while the 17th and 18th centuries already developed with a large fantasy the “Turquerie” theme. This trend imbued with exoticism and picturesque can be found in the decoration of Marie-Antoinette and Comte d’Artois’ private apartments at the end of the 1780’s. It is in the 19th century, with the Bonaparte-led Egypt expedition of 1798 that the craze for Orient, its mysteries, beauty, eroticism and light fascinates.  However, the overtaking of Alger by the French in 1830 remains the real starting point of this artistic movement and of the apparition of the term Orientalism.

With the development of steam maritime liaisons and railways, painters, sculptors, cabinet-makers and ceramists join militaries and salesmen in discovering yet unknown countries.

Riding camels and wearing turbans, French artists, visit Persian and Arabic countries, such as Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863) who drew hundreds of watercolours and sketches from his travels to Alger and Oran in 1832. It will remain a source of inspiration for years to come. Other artists such as Decamps, Fromentin or Gerome, Lamartine, Nerval or Gautier, all fed by the desire to uncover new civilisations or even to adopt the local lifestyle, also went towards those sunny and arid lands. In the meantime, English are focused towards Egypt and Palestine. In Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, other European artists undertook travels of their own.

From those travels, fine Arts in Europe burst in new themes: the despotism of the tyrant, the sensuality and opulence of harems, the picturesque of coloured street scenes, the richness of men and landscapes.
In France, Orientalists became famous during the Second Empire.

Emperor Napoleon III, aristocrats as much as the bourgeoisie searching for exoticism filled up order books of renowned artists.  It is not primarily the academic style of the Orientalists that matter, but mostly the exoticism of their pieces that fascinate the public; such as the sculptor Charles Cordier (1827-1905) who innovates with the polychrome marbles and onyx from Algeria, or Emile Guillemin (1841-1907) whose works are edited by Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892). Those artists joined scientific expeditions in Orient, in order to report cultures of a multi-ethnic civilisation. This documentary and naturalist approach shows a political and cultural desire to preserve anthropological and geographic testimonies.

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Bronze-caster
(1810-1892)
(attributed to)

An oriental style chandelier

France
Circa 1870

Enamel, Gilded bronze

Height. : 75cm (29,5 in.) ; Diam. : 45cm (17,7 in.)

Exceptional gilt bronze and polychrome cloisonné enamel chandelier with six light-arms raising from an open-work gilt bronze body in the shape of an egg adorned with enameled stylized foliate. The whole is in the oriental style and hung with chains finishing in enameled medallions and corolla.

This work in enameled bronze of oriental style is typical of F. Barbedienne’s production, who was famous for his leading role in the renaissance of the cloisonné enamel decoration during the 19^th century.

Biography

Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) created and headed at n°30 boulevard Poissonnière in Paris one of the most famous 19th century artistic bronze casting companies. He owed his reputation to his bronze casting of Ancient and modern sculptures, which subjects came from the greatest European museums, but also to his original bronze works designed in his workshop and reserved for furniture and decoration. In addition to his own production, Barbedienne worked for renowned sculptors such as Barrias, Bosio, Clésinger or Carrier-Belleuse. Awarded with two Council Medals at the 1851 London Universal Exhibition, the Barbedienne Company won at the 1855 Paris Universal Exhibition a medal of honour and eleven cooperator’s medals for the work of his co-workers, designers and chasers. At the 1867 Universal Exhibition in his capacity as member of and speaker for the Jury, he was non-contestant, but exhibited nevertheless with great success cloisonné and champlevé enamelled pieces. Barbedienne was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour in 1867 and Commander in 1878 when he was compared with “a prince of industry and the king of bronze casting”.

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Damas
Circa 1930

Two Armchairs: Height: 97cm (38,2 in.) ; Width: 90cm (35,4 in.) ; Depth : 47,5 cm (18,7 in.)
Sofa: Height: 97cm (38,2 in.) ; Width: 135cm (53,1 in.) ; Depth : 47 cm (18,5 in.)

Oriental salon suite comprising two large armchairs and a small sculpted, openwork, inlaid wooden sofa. Nicely decorated with stylized motifs, mother-of-pearl incrustation and geometrical elements in Mashrabiyya.

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France
Circa 1870

Bronze, polychrome enamel

Height : 110 cm (43,3 in.) ; Diam.: 60 cm (23,6 in.)

Oriental style twelve arms chandelier with very fine geometric motifs of polychrome cold enamel on bronze. Suspended by three chains, it is centered by an ornamentation of tracery and stylized diamond-shapes. Twelve sconces and their assorted basins light the set, ending with a richly decorated enameled sphere.

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Sculptor
(1841-1907)
French School

Bust of a young woman from north Africa

Signed E’le. Guillemin

France
Circa 1875

Overall height : 62 cm (24,4 in) ; Width : 41 cm (16,1 in) ; Depth : 24 cm (9,5 in)

Very fine bust of a woman from North Africa, made of patinated and polychrome bronze with orange-red tones. Her hair is tied, she wears head ornaments, a traditional costume and oriental jewellery, including a necklace featuring medallions inscribed with Arabic characters and crescents. Antique red marble base.

Orientalism

The taste for exoticism and ‘turqueries’ already existed in Europe in the 17th century. At the turn of the 19th century, the Campaign in Egypt led by Bonaparte inspired the French artists with a taste for the Orient, its beauty and light, and responded as well to the quest for foreign and the fascination for mystery. Nevertheless, Orientalism did not become an artistic movement named as such before 1830 when the catch of Algiers took place.

Benefiting from the development of means of transport, artists travelled to areas which were still little known at the time such as Maghreb countries and Persia. Artists such as Decamps, Fromentin, Delacroix or Gérôme developed new themes, sometimes in the romanticism manner, sometimes with a documentary and naturalist approach : despotism of the tyran, sensuality of the harem, picturesque street scenes, richness of the landscapes.

By the end of the Second Empire, Academicism turned towards modernity and obscured the Orientalist taste during a few years. However, the Orientalist Movement knew a resurgence with the creation of the Society of Orientalist Painters and the Universal Exhibitions of 1855 and 1867.

E. Guillemin was a part of this second generation of orientalist painters. He was passionate about the exotic genre, and offered a range of dimensions for his works including some colossal sculptures. He created biblical heroes, conquistadors, and above all: very lively Oriental figures. Like Charles Cordier (1827-1905), he brought together colors and materials in an innovative way: polychromy of marbles and bronzes, associations of enamels and stones with silver or copper… This greatly favored collaborations between sculptors and art casters, such as the one between Guillemin and Barbedienne for the Indian and Oriental women-like torchères.

Biography

A leading Parisian sculptor of the period, Emile Guillemin (1841-1907) trained with his father Emile-Marie-Auguste Guillemin, then with the sculptor Jean-Jules Salmson. He began his career at the 1870 Salon of French Artists, with two plasters presenting two Roman gladiators, that will be made in bronze and later acquired by the State for Saint-Germain-en-Laye Castle. His growing reputation allowed him collaborating with prestigious luxury firms such as Barbedienne and Christofle. He continued exhibiting at the Salon until the end of the years 1890. He notably presented a series of bronze busts of oriental women similar to the one we offer for sale. Around the time he created these busts, E.Guillemin travelled in North Africa and around the Mediterranean Basin, aiming to list the anthropological characters of the different local cultures. The excellence of E.Guillemin shines through these sculptures, enhanced by a remarkable chiseling quality and the realism of the subjects.

Museology

– Museum of Fine Arts, Montréal (Canada) : sculpted group depicting Eliézer and Rébecca.

– Orsay Museum, Paris : Bas d’armoire by Diehl, mounted with gilt bronze panels by Guillemin (Inv. O.A.O. 992), Exposition Universelle de Paris, 1867.

– Saint-Germain-en-Laye Castle : Two Roman Gladiators: Rétiaire and Mirmillon (bronzes after the plaster models exhibited at the Salon in 1870).

Bibliography

Orsay Museum Archives.

L’univers des bronzes, Yves Devaux, Ed. Pygmalion, Paris, 1978.

Les bronzes du XIXe siècle, P. Kjellberg, Les Ed. de l’amateur, 1989, p. 369-370.

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Bronze-caster
(1840-1897)
(attributed to)

“African Venus”

France
Circa 1878

Height : 168 cm (66 in.) ; Width : 54 cm (21,2 in.) ; Depth : 35 cm (13,78 in.)

A similar model mounted as a floor lamp was exposed by Charles de Marnyhac at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1878.
(Reproduced in “L’Art et L’Industrie de tous les peuples à l’Exposition Universelle de 1878”, Librairie Illustrée, Paris)
A similar work is now presented at the Shangri-La hotel, in Paris, on Iena avenue.

An exceptional life-size two patina bronze figure, representing a young African woman taming a snake, dressed with a feathered loincloth and a long drape in her hair, and wearing African jewels.

Biography

Marnyhac et C^ie was used as the commercial name for the Société des Marbres et Bronzes Artistiques de Paris (the Paris Marbles and Artistic Bronzes Society) which was established since the middle of 19^th century in Paris, on the Opera avenue and then at N.1, rue de la Paix. Managed by Charles de Marnyhac (1840-1897), the bronze-foundry company specialized production of luxurious pieces as well as casts from models made by the greatest sculptors of the time, such as Jean-Baptiste Clésinger (1814-1883), Amédée Charron (1847-1937) and Eugène Despléchin (1852-1926). The Marnyhac firm was awarded a medal at the 1878 Universal Exhibition, and showed again their works at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900. The company closed down around 1910.

Bibliography

Great Exhibitions 1851-1900, Jonathan Meyer, Antique Collector’s Club, 2006, p°241.

L’Art et L’Industrie de tous les peuples à l’Exposition Universelle de 1878, Librairie Illustrée, Paris.

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Ornemanist
(1821-1888)

F. Barbedienne

Bronze-caster
(1810-1892)

A pair of Oriental style planters

Signed F. Barbedienne

France
Circa 1870

Height : 16 cm (6,2 in.) ; Diameter : 18 cm (7 in.)

A lovely pair of two handled pierced and gilded bronze flower planters, decorated with oriental style entrelac motifs. Richly ornamented with a floral decor made of polychrome cloisonné enamel on turquoise blue background.

Biography

Already esteemed at the London Exhibition of 1851 with two « Council medals », Barbedienne’s firm won at the 1855 Paris Universal Exhibition a medal of honor and eleven cooperator’s medals for the work of his co-workers, such as his designer Louis-Constant Sévin (1821-1888) and his chaser Désiré Attarge (c.1820-1878). The success of Barbedienne’s firm brought him many official commissions, such in about 1860, as Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) supplied bronzes for furniture for the Pompeian Villa of Prince Napoleon, located avenue Montaigne in Paris. At the London Universal Exhibition of 1862 Barbedienne won medals in three different categories : Furniture, Silversmith work and Artistic bronzes, combining for some pieces with onyx marble and enamel. Barbedienne was not only, with the Parisian silversmith Christofle, one of the leaders of the French Aesthetic Movement in decorative arts, but also the first artist to produce the famous « cloisonné » enamels (see « L’émaillerie moderne », Gazette des Beaux-Arts, Alfred Darcel, t. XXIV, janv.-juin 1868, p° 75-84). At the 1867 Universal Exhibition in his capacity as member of and speaker for the Jury, he was non-contestant, but exhibited nevertheless with great success cloisonné and champlevé enameled pieces. Barbedienne was made an officer of the Légion d’Honneur in 1867 and Commander in 1878 when he was compared with « a prince of industry and the king of bronze casting ». His glory did not decline with the passage of the time for at the Universal Exhibition of 1889 the critics thanked Barbedienne for the example he set for other bronze-casters by the perfection of his bronzes.

Bibliography

« L’Exposition universelle de 1889 : l’exemple de Barbedienne », Catherine Chevillot, in Revue de l’Art, 1992, n°95.

Catalogue de l’exposition : « L’art en France sous le Second Empire », Grand-Palais, Paris 1979.

Catalogue de l’Exposition Universelle, les Beaux-Arts et les Arts décoratifs, t. I : l’Art moderne, Paris, 1878.

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Earthenware Manufacture of Creil-Montereau
(19th century)

Orientalist dish

Signed by Cojoie AD, the decor-painter
and on the reverse, LM et Cie, the making mark of the manufacture

France
Circa 1845

Diam. : 50,5 cm (19,6 in.)

A circular hand-painted earthenware dish, decorated with an Orientalist scene depicting an Arab ridder and his servant getting out of a town. The piece is outlined with a black and fine gold banded rim.

Biography

In order to compete with the English production, the Creil (Oise) and Montereau (Seine-et-Marne) manufactures began producing « English style » white paste earthenware as soon as the eighteenth century. At Montereau, English potters refugees in France shared their skills with Louis Leboeuf (1792-1854). Under the Second Empire, technical innovations, added to the enthusiasm of the middle classes in the decorative arts, provided a production of fine standard, more accomplished and more diverse. The white clay was then relayed by the opaque porcelain, then whiter, harder and tougher. With the merger of Manufactures of Montereau and Creil in 1840, Lebeuf went into partnership with Milliet (marks « Lebeuf Milliet and Co. » from 1840 to 1874, followed by « Lebeuf and Co. » from 1875 to 1876). Both partners were constantly seeking to discover new and various techniques and patterns of decoration. This golden age lasted until the early twentieth century as the economic crisis appeared. A restructuring process was started and Montereau was preferred to Creil. The takeover by the Choisy Manufacture in 1920 continued the mass production until 1955, when Montereau definitely closed down its workshops.

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