“Boulle” Wall-Side Pedestal Attributed to Befort Jeune, France, Circa 1870

Rare Napoleon III display pedestal with curved front, in wood veneer and chiseled and gilded bronze ornamentation. Topped by a rotating circular top underlined by a frieze of laurels...

A similar model presented at the 1855 Paris Universal Exhibition Total height : 154 cm (60 5/8 in.) ; Width : 33 x 33 cm (13 x 13 in.) Cup : height 17 cm (6 ¾ in.) Beautiful pair of bronze stands also named Bamboo candelabra. Each rests on three claw feet adorned with lion heads and separated with palms. A bamboo shaped shaft arises from this tripod and is topped with three buds supporting a circular red griotte marble top on which stands a cup in the Ancient style decorated with ivy. The sobriety of the decoration enhances the quality of the bronze cast and the patina shades. The small chains falling from the top animates this work of a sleek design. The model : The design of these stands, inspired from Ancient tripods, is a well-known model in Ferdinand Barbedienne’s production as it was reused many times by the bronze-caster. Designed by the head-decorator Henri Cahieux, this model was edited by the Barbedienne Company as soon as 1855, named Ancient candelabra lamp-holder h. 1m35 and was sold 440 francs. From 1875, these stands were commercialised under the name Bamboo candelabra, tripod, lamp-holder and were offered in three heights : 1m90, 1m70 and 1m35. This model of stand could then be found in all catalogues of the Barbedienne Company. This pair of candelabras allows us to see how F. Barbedienne offered during decades a range of furniture from the designs of his decorator. This type of stand could be seen in different interior decorations of the Second Empire A model similar to ours was presented by the Barbedienne Company at the 1855 Universal Exhibition. For this occasion Empress Eugénie bought it for her toilet at Saint-Cloud Castle. A watercolor by Fortuné de Fournier made in 1860 shows them, set on both sides of a cheval mirror made by the Fourdinois Company. (see photo attached) This model pleased the Empress so much that she ordered two other pairs in 1858 for her boudoirs at Compiègne and Fontainebleau Palaces. Otherwise similar stands took place in the Pompeiian house built in 1856 by the architect Alfred Normand (1822-1909) for Prince Napoléon. Several pictures and engravings of this house show us these candelabras used...

Exceptional centerpiece in silvered and gilded bronze, composed of a naiad riding a dolphin, supporting a chiseled shell decorated with reeds, adorned with the head of a river god on its bow and on which a winged love blows in a conch. The whole rests on a pedestal decorated with dolphin heads and cut-out leathers, ending with a porphyry base with molded steps. Historical and artistic context Centers and naves of tables are attested in France from the Middle Ages in order to present spices and other condiments brought from distant lands around the Mediterranean or from the trade of the Silk Roads. The importance of their presence on prestigious tables will be confirmed throughout the decorative arts, evolving during the 19th century in centerpieces, becoming a central element of decoration. Here we find a true virtuosity in the composition and representation of the human figure which is reminiscent of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance. Indeed, the fluidity of the lines of the naiad can be compared to the nymph of Fontainebleau by Benvenuto Cellini preserved at the Louvre museum and dated 1545, while the naturalist representation of the marine setting refers to the work of Wenzel Jamnitzer...

Elegant centerpiece attributed to Baccarat, composed of an oval cut-crystal cup and two circular cut-crystal cups decorated with stylized palmettes on a grid background, resting on a...