H. Cahieux                            

Designer (1825-1854)

F. Barbedienne

Bronze-caster (1810-1892)

 « Bamboo » Floor Lamp

France
Circa 1855

Bronze, Griotte Marble

Height : 225 cm (88,6 in.) ; Length base : 48 cm (18,9 in.)

Important floor lamp in patinated bronze with golden highlights with a bamboo shaped shaft topped with three buds supporting a circular top where rests a glass globe engraved with stars and centered with a Greek frieze. Ending with three claw feet adorned with lion heads and separated with palms, it on a moulded triangular-shaped base with cut sides in red Griotte marble.

related work

The design of this stand, inspired from Ancient tripods, is a well-known model in Ferdinand Barbedienne’s production as it was reused many times by the bronze-caster. Designed by the head-decorator Henri Cahieux, this model was edited by the Barbedienne Company as soon as 1855, named Ancient candelabra lamp-holder h. 1m35 and was sold 440 francs. From 1875, these stands were commercialized under the name Bamboo candelabra, tripod, lamp-holder and were offered in three heights : 1m90, 1m70 and 1m35. This model of stand could then be found in all catalogues of the Barbedienne Company.
Given its success, this stand could be mounted as a floor lamp according to customer wishes.

A model identical to ours was presented by Maison Barbedienne during the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855.

Empress Eugénie bought it for her toilet at Saint-Cloud Castle. A watercolor by Fortuné de Fournier made in 1860 shows them, set on both sides of a mirror made by the Fourdinois Company. This model pleased the Empress so much that she ordered two other pairs in 1858 for her boudoirs at Compiègne and Fontainebleau Palaces.

The architect Alfred Normand (1822-1909), during the furnishing of the Pompeian House for the Prince Napoléon, installed several copies mounted in lamp holders. The presence of these stands illustrates that the Barbedienne Company took also part to this work particularly with this model which was successful among the imperial family.

Engraving showing the party given by Prince Napoléon for the inauguration of his Pompeian house, 14th February 1860, Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

View of the atrium of the Pompeian house about 1860, Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

Biography

Henry Cahieux (1825-1854), head decorator for the artistic bronze founder Ferdinand Barbedienne, was destined for a brilliant career, as testified by the works of art he sent to the Salons of 1850 and 1853. Most of these pieces were in the Grecian style, which was very fashionable at the time. Victor Champier’s article “Industrial Artists”, which appeared in the Decorative Arts Review (December 1888) echoed the genius of the artist : « Barbedienne had just lost (in 1854), taken by cholera in the prime of life, this young man with such a promising future, whose works, infused with graceful taste, showed him to be a master ». At the 1855 Universal Exhibition in Paris, his lamps which figured as the last testimony of Henry Cahieux, won a medal of honour for Barbedienne’s stand. His succession in the firm was assured by Louis-Constant Sevin (1821-1888) with great success.

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. 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. The success of the Barbedienne Company at the diverse international exhibitions earned it several official commissions, as providing ornamental bronze for the Pompeiian house of Prince Napoleon, about 1860, avenue Montaigne in Paris. 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.