Ref.10769
Beautiful antique Neo-Gothic style spherical chandelier in stained glass, late 19th century

Rare spherical chandelier made with the technique of stained glass in the late 19th century. Neo-Gothic style, this chandelier is decorated with colored glass cabochons and profiles of men and women made of out glass in the manner of cameos. Bronze frame with brown patina.

Ref.10841
Jean-François GECHTER (Att. to) - "Bonaparte crossing the Great Saint Bernard", important patinated bronze sculpture

This important patinated bronze sculpture, representing General Bonaparte crossing the Great-Saint-Bernard, is attributed to the romantic sculptor Théodore Gechter (1796-1844). The general is represented according to tradition, « calme on a fiery horse », although he had crossed the pass on a mule. The prancing animal confers a dynamism to the composition, which is reinforced by the grandiloquent gesture of Bonaparte draped in a loose cloak. The victorious general, with an idealized face, looks at the spectator and shows him the direction to follow, this third political way which he sought to impose between the royalists and the republicans . This beautiful sculpture was executed after the famous painting by Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825). This representation commemorates the victorious passage, in May 1800, of the Great-Saint-Bernard pass by the reserve army under the direction of the First Consul, the first stage of his triumphal reconquest of Italy. With great audacity, Bonaparte played the surprise by crossing a pass, deemed impratical in the spring. He returned to the feat of great captains of the past : Hannibal, passing through the Alps with his elephants in 218 during the Second Punic War, and Charlemagne, in 773, in his fight against Lomabards. Even before the Napoleonic victories, Austerlitz, Jena, Friedland, Wagram, the painting inscribed the name of Bonaparte among those of the greatest conquerors of History. The composition of David, taken up by Théodore Gechter, is an absolute icon, archetype of the representation of the hero of the Revolution, probably the most famous portrait of Napoleon around the world. There are several bronzes edition of this model. The representation of Gechter differs in several points from that of the painter J. L. David. General Bonaparte, realized by Gechter does not look at the spectator but at the ground. This rocky and eventful base underscores the obstacles that General Bonaparte has had to face and thus reinforces his heroic action. It should also be noted that Gechter did not go so far as to inscribe the names of victorious conquerors on the rock, as in the case of David’s painting. We find the fiery movement of the characters in Charles Martel and Abdérame, King of the Saracens, plaster group presented by Gechter at the Salon of 1833. A bronze model, commissionned by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, melted by Gonon is now preserved in the Louvre. The sculptor represents Charles Martel in armor slaying his enemy. The representation of the rider is a pretext for the study of the movement and contortions of the horse. The expression of the warriors pride and this victorious feeling is the sign of a romanticism peculiar of Gechter. The artist has taken great care with the modeling of theses faces, perfectly catching the light. The precision in rendering the details is obvious (the helmet, the crafted brigantine, the chainmails). In addition, Gechter alternates in his compositions rough surfaces, smooth or chiseled throughout the sculpture, precisely as in the Bonaparte crossing the Great-Saint-Bernard. The extraordinary quality of our sculpture, the composition in movement, the precision in the rendering of the details suggest that it is indeed a model of Gechter, executed around 1840. This bronze sculpture is of high quality, by the delicacy of carving, the quality of the details and ornaments, the fiery movement, which are characteristic of Théodore Gechter, a romantic sculptor who particularly liked the modeling of horses.

Ref.11465
A pair of ceramic lamps with Japanese women decor

A beautiful pair of Japanese style lamps made out of painted ceramic and gilded bronze . Two japanese women are represented in wearing a traditional costume with fan or umbrella. They are surrounded by plants and insects or birds represented in golden paint, which gives a great preciousness to this pair of lamps. They have two spheres created by la Maison Baccarat. This model is reproduced in the 1907 – 1908 edition of the Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat's catalogue with all the prices of the lighting products of the Maison (model E201, p.39).

Ref.11459
L'ESCALIER DE CRISTAL - Display cabinet in metal marquetry and bronze ornaments

This small display cabinet, stamped L'ESCALIER DE CRISTAL, was made in the 19th century. The single-door, two-storey glass display case is framed by a geometric frieze and adorned with gilded bronze corners. Its lower part, closed by two doors, has a blackened wooden background with a metal marquetry decoration in the spirit of Boulle marquetry.

Ref.10909
Gabriel VIARDOT (1830-1906)- Small Japanese square harness

Stamp "G. Viardot" on the back of a jamb. Japanese pedestal in moldered, carved and stained wood. The square-section top rests on four moving legs joined by a tablet with openwork Chinese motifs. The apron takes up the Far Eastern decorative repertoire.

Ref.11320
Display cabinet with Far Eastern decoration in the style of Gabriel Viardot (1830-1906)

This window opens with a glass door on the inside to a shelf stretched with red velvet in the upper part. In the lower part, it opens with two doors engraved and decorated with bronze dragons. Ornaments of openwork bronze plates. Cabinet in the style of Gabriel Viardot, leader of cabinetmakers specialized in Japanese and Chinese furniture.

Ref.11313
Gabriel VIARDOT (1830-1906) - Japanese style shelf cabinet with mother of pearl decoration

Stamped "G. VIARDOT". This cabinet with shelves is signed by the Parisian cabinetmaker Gabriel Viardot and has a rich japanese style decor: dragon, heron and turtle in bronze, inlaid ivory, bone and mother of pearl decorated with flowering branches. It opens with three doors and a drawer. It is surmounted by an important Foo dog in polished varnished bronze, which is one of Gabriel Viardot's trademarks. Its asymmetrical construction is characteristic of the creations of the Parisian cabinetmaker. The composition thus alternates solid elements and empty spaces. The central leaf is adorned with a carved and inlaid mother-of-pearl panel from Tonkin. The most outstanding decorative element of this cabinet is a Foo dog crowning the piece of furniture. To the right of the cabinet, supporting a tablet, a crane resting on the back of a turtle is also made out of polished varnished bronze as the sinuous dragon located in the lower part of the furniture. These are, just like the winding base, often present on the furnitures by Gabriel Viardot.

Ref.13521
Gilt and sculpted wood bed with a very rich Rococo decoration and dragons coming from Marlène Dietrich's Parisian appartment

This bed with an impressive decor was made of gilt and sculpted wood in the 20th century and comes from the old apartment of the French actress Marlène Dietrich (1901-1992). The headboard is adorned with an opulent Rococo decoration with curved edges, showing stylized shells with acanthus leaves coilings. The whole is lightened up with two small dragons put on each side threateningly and with a winding body. The foodboard also shows a very rich sculpted decoration composed of impressive volutes with acanthus leaves put all around a stylised shell. On the bed's frame a gadrooned frieze and an interlaced one are running, while the sides each receive splendid shell decor from where are escaping acanthus leaves and flower garlands.

Ref.14920
Taxil DOAT for the SÈVRES Manufacture, Oxblood Red Glazed Porcelain Jardinière, 1907

This large jardiniere in glazed red porcelain was created by Taxile Doat in 1907 in his workshop in Sèvres. A talented ceramist, Taxile Doat worked for the Sèvres manufactory between 1877 and 1905, while maintaining a personal workshop in Paris, and later in Sèvres. He taught ceramics in the United States between 1909 and 1915. Influenced by East Asian arts, he presents here a vase with a very refined form and decor. Its shape and color echo Asian pieces such as an 18th-century Chinese jardiniere. The ceramist adopted this form while making it his own, adding cabochons of green and blue glazed ceramic that define the character of the piece. The work is signed, dated, and located under the base. A porcelain vase with very similar decoration, which was part of the collection of the gallerist Oscar Graf, a specialist in the artist, also demonstrates Doat's fascination with traditional Chinese porcelain, whose forms he repeatedly reinterpreted.

Ref.15033
SÈVRES Manufacture, Pair of Chameleon Vases of the Persian Bottle Model, 1874

This pair of porcelain vases of the Persian bottle model was made at the Sèvres manufactory in 1874. The “Persian bottle vase” model, created at the Sèvres manufactory in 1874 based on a Persian metal prototype, exists in several versions that vary in color and decoration. It is among the most characteristic of the manufactory’s production under the Third Republic. One can perceive the direct influence of Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824-1887) in the design of these vases. A sculptor and student of David d’Angers, Carrier-Belleuse exhibited at the Salon starting in 1851. He worked in all genres with remarkable inventiveness. He provided several form models to English and Limoges ceramic factories and was the director of art works at Sèvres from 1875 until his death in 1887, completely renewing forms and decorations by introducing a new range of vases that achieved great success at the 1884 Exposition of the Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs. These two examples, forming a pair, are ovoid in shape with a long tapered neck with a quarter-round median ring. They feature an elaborate decor of Persian motifs in gold powder, with interlacing and arabesques on the body and decorated fillets on the neck. The lavender color is unique, changing depending on the light it is exposed to, from purple/grey in daylight to pale pink in artificial light. This is due to the use of the so-called “chameleon” paste invented in 1848 by the Sèvres manufactory chemist Alphonse Louis Salvetat for the 1862 Universal Exhibition. A mixture of vanadium oxide and cerium oxide allows this change of color according to its exposure to light. Exceptionally, these vases are neither signed nor bear any mark of the manufactory. However, they have an inscription that leaves no doubt as to their origin or date: “EXPOSITION DES BEAUX-ARTS. / F. BUON / INSPECTOR OF FINE ARTS / Head of the Exhibitions Service / 1874”. Frédéric Buon was already an inspector of Fine Arts in 1870-1871 and later remained an honorary inspector. Therefore, these are commemorative vases, made especially for the 1874 Fine Arts Exhibition. Similar vases to ours, although without an inscription, are referenced in a book published in 2012 by the Brian Haughton gallery, A Sense of Pleasure. A similar model, kept at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris, is referenced in Second Empire and Third Republic, from Audacity to Jubilation by Brigitte Ducrot, published in 2008 in the Sèvres, a Ceramic History collection. Another pair of vases, of the same model and with the same glaze, listed by the British Antique Dealers’ Association, bears an inscription similar to the one of interest to us: “EXPOSITION DES BEAUX-ARTS / ROUSSEAU (PH) / Member of the Jury, Painting Section / 1874”. The painter Philippe Rousseau was a painter of landscapes, still-lifes, and animals, who had been awarded several medals at the Salon. In 1874, he was an accomplished and recognized painter, and thus was appointed to the painting jury for the Fine Arts Exhibition. Moreover, a different pair of vases, of a different model but bearing a similar inscription, was sold in 2023: these are Sèvres pedestal vases in blue kiln porcelain enhanced with gold, bearing the inscription “EXPOSITION DES BEAUX-ARTS. / VTE DELABORDE / OF THE INSTITUTE / Member of the Jury. Engraving Section. / 1873”. These vases are signed and dated. The Viscount Henri Delaborde (1811-1899) was first a history painter, then, when he had to give up painting, he became a renowned art historian. For a long time a curator in the Prints Department of the Imperial Library (now the National Library of France), he was naturally asked to be part of the engraving jury in 1873, an event commemorated by these vases and their inscription. These numerous examples of commemorative vases suggest that on the occasion of at least two Fine Arts Exhibitions, in 1873 and 1874, the jury members and other organizers of the event were given a vase from the Sèvres manufactory, probably as a token of appreciation for their involvement in the event. It is even possible that, since the two vases dated 1874 are of the same model, a different model was selected each year for this purpose.

Ref.15499
E. BRUN after Jules-Claude ZIEGLER, Portrait of Louis de Champagne, Count of Sancerre, 1920

This portrait of the Count of Sancerre was made by E. Brun in 1920. It is a copy of the work by Jules-Claude Ziegler preserved at the Château de Versailles, as indicated by the inscription placed at the bottom left of the canvas. The original portrait was commissioned for the Galerie Militaire at Versailles in 1834; upon its delivery, it was placed in the Hall of the Constables. Under the reign and initiative of Louis-Philippe (1773-1850), the former residence of the kings of France was transformed into a museum dedicated to “all the glories of France”. In this context, numerous works were commissioned to illustrate the political and military history of France, including this portrait. The copy of the Versailles portrait was likely commissioned by the Sancerre family for their personal residence, the Château de Sancerre, where it was displayed. The constable and his mount occupy the center of the composition. Very dignified, he turns his head to the left, as if his attention has been drawn there – a way for the painter to partially conceal his strabismus, as noted in the Chronicle of the Monk of Saint-Denis. He guides his horse with his left hand while holding a staff of office in his right. He is dressed in armor and chain mail, over which he wears a large red cape and a yellow tunic bearing his family’s coat of arms. The crest is also present on the barding covering the horse’s upper body, surmounted by a comital crown. The horse is shown in motion, its tail in the wind, imparting a sense of movement to the portrait. The scene unfolds against a rocky landscape extending to the horizon. The sky is heavy with clouds at the lower part, transitioning from dark gray to a lighter tone, culminating in a blue sky in the upper third of the canvas. The copy is rigorously identical to the original, with two exceptions: the absence of the artist’s signature on the rock, replaced by the inscription, and the inclusion of a castle in the background. This was likely an express request by the commissioners of this painting: as it was intended to adorn the walls of the Château de Sancerre, it seemed fitting to depict the structure as an integral part of the count’s history. Louis de Champagne, Count of Sancerre (1341/42–1402), was Lord of Charenton, Beaumetz (or Bommiers?), Menetou-Salon, and later Ambrault (1391). Having fought in numerous battles during the Hundred Years’ War, he was named Marshal of France in 1368 and distinguished himself in combat on many occasions. The chronicler Jean Froissart (c. 1337-c. 1410) described him as “a valiant man and a boldly steadfast knight” and “the finest ornament of French chivalry”. He also served as an ambassador to England in 1385, governor of Languedoc from 1390 to 1401, and finally Constable of France in 1397. The Count of Sancerre was buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis, where his effigy can still be seen today. This effigy, the closest temporal likeness of Louis de Champagne, was likely a source of inspiration for Jules-Claude Ziegler’s portrait. He is depicted here as constable, a title denoting the supreme commander of the king’s armies from the late 12th century, and as Lord of Sancerre, with the château in the background and his coat of arms included in the imagery. This representation aligns with the 19th century’s documentary interest in French history, particularly in the depiction of armor. This historical passion extended into the 20th century, as seen in the creation of this copy, which was accompanied by a frame adorned with neo-Gothic cabbage-leaf moldings.

Ref.14656
Ernest CARRIÈRE for CHRISTOFLE – Japonist Ovoid Vase “Seaweed and Fish” in Silvered Metal

This Japanese-inspired ovoid vase, designed by the ceramist Ernest Carrière, was produced by the renowned silversmith Christofle. The base is adorned with a frieze of seashells, and the body features a koi carp motif. The relief treatment of the carp lends the vase a unique presence, while the sinuous horizontal patterns represent seaweed swept by the current. The neck is decorated with a frieze of elegantly incised shrimp. A symbol of willpower, strength, and fertility, Japanese tradition attributes talismanic power to the image of the carp, ensuring happiness and wealth. Brother of the painter Eugène Carrière, Ernest Carrière (1857-1908) exhibited at the Salon des Beaux-Arts between 1893 and 1908. The "Seaweed and Fish" model was created in 1894 and exhibited at the Salon the following year. Presented as number 177 with the somewhat dry title "metal vase: fish," it reflects the final waves of Japonisme and introduces the elegant organic forms of Art Nouveau. This model exists in several sizes. Our example is signed Ernest Carrière and marked with the Christofle hallmark under the base. The base shows traces of gilding.