Ref.11249
Pair of cassolettes with blowers and griffins, in Napoleon III style, in Vert de Mer, Jaune de Sienne marble and gilded bronze.

Very nice pair of antique Napoleon III style cassolettes made out of gilded and chiseled bronze, Siena yellow and sea green marbles, revealing a beautiful polychrome. The work of bronze is quite interesting, especially in the patterns of griffins and players of aulos. Wind instrument very used during the Antiquity in religious rites, the aulos is composed mainly of a pipe pierced with holes, most often played in pairs. The general shape of these cassolettes is reminiscent of the Athenian, sort of pedestal table with three high feet supporting a shelf or a basin, forming a cassolette, a burning-perfume or a basin to wash the hands. Appeared at the end of the 18th century, the Athenian is inspired by the models of antiquity found during the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Neoclassicism of the decorative vocabulary, combined with the shape of these cassolettes inspired by Antiquity and the polychromy of the materials mark well a Napoleon III style realization of high quality where eclecticism is the signature.

Ref.14083
Imaginary views of Paris in the 16th century: two paintings on porcelain by Alphonse CHAIGNON

Signed and dated 1882, these two circular-shaped porcelain paintings are the work of the painter Alphonse Chaignon. Trained by Jean-Hilaire Belloc, then a student of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, Chaignon is known for his urban views idealizing the past, in particular medieval and Renaissance Paris. In the work we present on the left, the flamboyant Gothic bell tower of the Saint-Jacques Tower (completed in 1523) is identifiable. We can also see the sign of a tavern, “Au Lion d’Or”, indicating refined cuisine. If the costumes clearly evoke the Renaissance, the city is still immersed in a medieval atmosphere. The half-timbered houses, the Gothic ornaments, the centuries-old activities of women reflect Chaignon's archaeological passion. Certain details, such as the woman carrying a jug, demonstrate the influence of Italian painting on Chaignon. The medieval and Renaissance past fascinates many writers (Victor Hugo), architects (Viollet-Le-Duc) and artists (Jules Adeline, Alphonse Chaignon, Albert Robida) of the 19th century. The 1900 Universal Exhibition celebrated this imagination by offering a reconstruction of Paris in the Middle Ages.