Le Louvre French Antiques Vases

–Ceramiques impressionistes & Gres Art Nouveau. Olivier Fanica et Gerard Boue. 2005 Massin Editeur.- Théodore Lefront (1835-1893) was a leading maker of decorative ceramic pieces du...

During the 17th through 19th centuries, highly skilled artisans in Savona, Italy, produced beautiful tin-glazed earthenware known as maiolica (majolica). These blue and white lidded vases with serpentine handles, from circa 1800, are such an example. Early Savona offerings were painted cobalt blue on a white background, as seen on these vases. Because the scenes depicted on the main bodies are distinct, they are considered a near pair, although their dimensions do not vary. Both illustrations contain country houses surrounded by tall trees and fronted by vegetation emerging from rocky terrain. In each scene, people can be seen in front of the houses, with one having two citizens and the other having four. One of the renderings is bordered by roundels at the top and by a leafy vine at the bottom; the other vase does not have any surrounding motifs. The sides opposite the pastoral images are distinct as well: the one with the borders has curled vines surrounding the Savona Lighthouse (a production mark of studios from this region), while the other vase has the lighthouse above a pair of small foliate margents. Both vases have domed, removable lids with a conical finial emerging from a painted sunburst. Curled leaves have been painted along the circumference above a solid blue ring. The two curvaceous handles are each comprised of a pair of snakes bound with a ribbon. Our blue and white lidded Savona vases...

More information coming soon… This pair of cast iron French vases, which have a wonderful sky blue finish, were produced by the Corneau Foundry, led by one of its founders, Alfred C...

More information coming soon… Dating to circa 1880, these wonderful French barbotine vases have bronze mounts, inspired by the visual stylings of Japonisme. The hand-painted vases ...

Hand-worked circa 1800, this French vase is adorned with a chariot and cartouche scene. Some of the elements were hammered from the front side, in a metalworking technique known as chasing, while other motifs were worked from the verso side, which is known as repousse. It is not uncommon for the two methods to be used in tandem, and the work of this particular artisan is top notch. The 5 ¾ diameter opening is flanked by two flared out handles that terminate on the widest part of the main body. A flowing foliate margent (repousse) adorns the top of the body, beneath the lightly textured thick neck (chased). The leaf theme continues beneath a thin ring of roundels that frames the upper body, with a sprawling foliage display that wraps around the lower body, interrupted by a pair of cartouches. One scene depicts a man in a toga with a laurel wreath crown...

Signed on the underside by Gaetano Battaglia of Manifattura Battaglia, this tall hand-painted majolica ewer originates from Naples, Italy, circa 1870. Known as an istoriato (loosely ...

Produced by the French studio of Theodore Lefront, circa 1880, this antique barbotine vase features an oblong main body with brass mounts. The vase h...

With its Neoclassical elements, this pair of French porcelain vases is in the style of Louis XVI. Crafted circa 1870, the stunning details of the swags are sharpened by the rich colo...

Hand-carved in England, circa 1820, these lovely spill vases were fashioned out of burl walnut. The vases have developed a tremendous, darkened patina, particularly along the carved ...

A beautiful set of five blue and white Delft vases, this faience collection was hand-painted in Holland, circa 1900. The three bulbous vases are lidded, each with a finial depicting a rampant lion with a ball in its forepaws. Beneath the lion is a mottled background (on the front side only), with a foliate and floral margent. Each vase has the same scene painted on the front of the main body: a couple walking through a field surrounded by flowers. The opposite side has a floral rinceaux above a foliate branch. Painted in a similar fashion, the two concave vases are without lids. The side opposite from the cartouche of the couple has floral margents. All five vases have canted corners on the base. Inspired by Italian majolica, the faience produced in 16th century Holland...

Inspired by the Delftware products that became world renowned in the mid-17th to mid-18th centuries, this pair of cobalt blue and white cylinder vases were hand-painted in Holland (Netherlands) in the early 1900’s. The vases depict two distinct scenes, which were interestingly painted by different artists. One vase has a farmhouse scene signed by “E. Lombart”, with a thatched roof house set near two large trees. In front of the house is a woman watching over a cow and three chickens as they gather near a stone feeding trough...

An exquisite example of Rococo style ornamentation, this antique (circa 1890) silvered bronze pitcher comes from France. The pitcher has been adorned with spiral fluting that expand ...

Vivid colors, hand-painted in the Renaissance style, enhance this large maiolica pot from the 1800’s. Maiolica is tin-glazed pottery from Italy that has been decorated over a white background. This pot is considered an istoriato, which is to say that the pot has been decorated with figures, rather than strictly geometric patterns or floral designs. The maiolica does incorporate floral and foliate motifs, with white flowers that have yellow centers surrounded by blue rings. There are also yellow flowers that are depicted in various stages of nyctinasty (the closing of flowers during the night). The flora is all connected by a series of green and yellow curled leaves. Behind the vegetation is a dark blue background. There are two portraits inside large yellow cartouches that are painted in the middle of the pot. The first is a bearded man, dressed in a light brown tunic...

From Sèvres, France, this lovely porcelain vase has been hand painted in a faux blue marble with black and white veining. The vase was produced in the style of a Greek stamnos, which was a vase designed to store liquids. Stamnoi are typically more squatty versions of krater vases, with handles high on the sides. The bottom of the vase is stamped with a production mark reading “Sevres 1872”. Sevres is a commune southwest of Paris that is known for its porcelain production. Manufacture nationale de Sèvres is a premier European porcelain factory that has been in Sevres since 1756. From 1800-1847, Alexander Brongniart was the director of the factory. Trained as both an engineer and a scientist, Brongniart brought about many changes to the factory, such as improving the composition of hard-paste porcelain and developing enameled colors to simulate marble. Our marbled blue Sèvres porcelain vase...

This colorful antique Italian Majolica vase dates to the 1800s. This type of pottery was first produced during the Italian Renaissance, and it often depicted historical and mythologi...

From Italy, this imposing antique hand-painted Majolica vase with handles is nearly 39 inches high. It is mainly a figural vase in style, ha...

From Italy, this large, hand-painted Majolica urn dates to the late 1800s. At the top are two putti seated upon the lid and two more putti lying upon their stomachs on the curled aca...

These Renaissance style antique French patinated bronze ewers depict very busy and mischievous Bacchanalian putti at play. A cherub sits atop the handle holding an item in his hands....