Gilt Bronze Jewelry Chest by Tahan of Paris, circa 1900

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Gilt Bronze Jewelry Chest by Tahan of Paris, circa 1900

About the Item

Our truly extraordinary jewelry chest from Tahan of Paris, circa 1900, features a gilt bronze frame and lid with floral vine openwork revealing green colored glass inserts, and snake form handle decorated with clear and ruby colored faceted glass, raised on acanthus leaf feet. With cushioned, fitted interior, apparently original and marked by the maker, TAHAN A PARIS. 6 by 8 by 5.5 inches. The finest box of its kind from the Belle Epoque period we have ever seen. This prestigious firm's origins started with the cabinet maker, Pierre Lambert Tahan (1780-1844), in Spa, a small town of the Ardennes in Belgium, who left his hometown in 1804 to set up his “boxes and necessaries” factory in the Temple district. His son Jean Pierre Alexandre (1813-1892) was hence born in Paris and helped him as early as 1837, then took over the total direction of the company in 1844, his father ceasing all activity then. Following his father's passing, Jean Pierre Alexandre separated the studio on rue de Quincampoix from the shop in the rue basse du rampart. He developed the production of boxes, but also produced larger furniture items such as “bonheur-du-jour”, desks, and sewing tables. As early as 1845, he also began to advertise in the newspapers, a practice still very little used at the time. “Supplier of the King and Princes”, he won a silver medal at the Exhibition of Industrial Products in 1849 and became known as "the Prince of Small Cabinetmaking." In 1855, he was awarded the title of "Supplier of the Emperor" at the Universal Exhibition where he exhibited an extraordinary sculpted aviary. The Court commissioned indeed a large number of works, including rosewood planters, lounge tables for the Palais des Tuileries, and a cabinet in mahogany and gilt bronze for Napoleon III’s office. His shop migrated to 34 rue de la Paix (1849-1866), then 11 Boulevard des Italiens (1866-1878). In 1861, Tahan was thus designated as "one of those manufacturers who outstrip fashion and set the tone instead of following." (La Chronique des Arts et de la Curiosité). Indeed, he collaborated quickly with Julien-Nicolas Rivart to inlay porcelain flowers into his pieces of furniture, which was one of his preferred vocabularies. It was then a new technique that placed him at the forefront of modernity. Tahan earned a gold medal at the World’s Fair of 1867 and employed more than two hundred employees in several workshops at the end of the Second Empire. Tahan was, like Rivart, an enthusiastic spirit about the inventions of the second half of the nineteenth century, and himself deposited a patent for the cylinder rack, and another for document holders with translucent facades in 1858. The Tahan Manufactory declined after the fall of the Empire, which had supported it so much. Thus, in 1882, the factory ceased production, and the store closed its doors.

Creator:
Tahan Paris (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 6 in (15.24 cm)Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)Depth: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)
Style:
Belle Époque (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Gilt
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
Late 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1900
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Visible cracks and small losses to the glass. Scuffs and light rubbing wear and surface dirt in crevices.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU8384233453662