Ferdinand Levillain Vases

PAIR OF GILT BRONZE VASES BY FERDINAND LEVILLAIN SET OVER ORIGINAL ROUGE MARBLE BASES Cast by Barbedienne circa 1880 Item # 406OWK03P A gorgeous pair of gilt bronze vases designed v...

Signed F. Barbedienne Pair of Greek style vases made two patina bronze. Each, designed in the shape of a tripod amphora adorned with Hercules heads, i...

Signed F. Levillain sculpteur and F. Barbedienne. Pair of Greek style vases made of two patina bronze. Each, designed in the shape of a amphora resting on four hoof feet and a quadrilobed base, is decorated in low-relief with ancient times scenes of grape harvest and picking hops. Overleaf vases, profiles of gods Ariadne and Bacchus are ornated with grape vines and cornucopias. The handles are supported by two bearded heads of gods. Here is the model titled Amphore vendangeurs, modèle n°1 (68 cm), edited by Barbedienne after 1891. We find it in the catalogs until 1911. The figure of Bacchus is a subject dear to Ferdinand Levillain, which he exhibited bronze medallions in his first exposition as well as Universal Exhibitions in which he participated. Ferdinand Levillain (Paris, 1837-1905) studied under the sculptor Jouffroy (1806-1882), before making his debut in 1861 at the French Artists Salon where he continued to exhibit until 1903. At the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris, he was praised for a Neo-Greek style bronze cup he made for the firm Blot and Drouard. He was not to become really famous, however, until 1871 thanks to his association with the great bronze founder Ferdinand Barbedienne, who began to exhibit Neo-Greek style lamps...

Pair of cylindrical ormolu, or gilt bronze, cups depicting hunting and picking fruits scenes in Classical style. Each neo-Greek cup is decorated with vine le...

The exquisite gilt bronze (ormolu) vases decorated with alternating scenes of harvesting and portraits of Ariadne and Bacchus, each vase with twin handles terminating in male busts, the bases with four hoof feet and set on square veined marble bases, signed 'F. Levillain' and 'F. Barbedienne'. Ferdinand Levillain (1837-1905) was a renowned sculptor who exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1861. He was awarded a Silver Medal at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, and was awarded 'Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur' by the French state in 1892. Ferdinand Barbedienne was a famous French metal worker and manufacturer. He presided over one of the most renowned and prolific foundries of Belle Epoque Paris. His atelier created sculptures, clocks and bronze mounts of the highest quality, and his works were shown at numerous international exhibitions of the period, where he was rewarded with many medals. Among them the Grande Me´daille d'Honneur, in Paris in 1855 is particularly noteworthy. In 1838 he associated with the engineer Achille Collas (1795-1859) who had just invented a process to reproduce statues at a smaller scale. Together they founded in 1839 the company Collas et Barbedienne, to reproduce casts of both contemporary artists and Greek and Roman antiquities. While working with Collas, Barbedienne actively pursued contracts with many sculptors of Paris contracting with David D'Angers, Jean-Baptiste Clesinger, and even producing some casts for Antoine Louis Barye as well as others. From 1860 to the years 1890, Barbedienne, eager to research new processes, experimented new techniques in champlevé and cloisonné enamels, to compete with Japanese importations, very fashionable then. When Collas died in 1859, the business was left to Barbedienne as sole owner. The company who had over 300 employees was prosperous as well in the field of reproductions as in its department specialized in the casting of monumental bronzes. In 1865, he was appointed President of the Reunion of Bronze Makers until 1885. After the 1870 war...