Antoine Durenne Foundry Satyr Mask Cast Iron Urn

About the Item

An important and incredibly rare 19th century Satyr Mask Urn from the foundry of Antoine Durenne (catalogue Durenne 1889- PL 404 Coupes et Vases). See last image for catalogue reference. Adorned with deeply cast and very detailed satyr mask, bows and other decorative elements. In superb condition, years of paint in beautiful light and dark blues, and sunset orange. Makers mark to two sides of the foot, illegible due to the paint. Height 52 cm x Width 45 cm x Depth 30 cm Inner Depth 35 cm Width at top inside of neck 14.5 cm Weight approx: 20 KG Antoine Durenne was a French cast iron and bronze foundry, active, especially in Paris, France, between 1847 and 1930 and noted especially for its ornamental ironwork and over-life size, iron, and bronze, cast animal sculpture groups, examples of which can be found in several UK historic parks and gardens. The Durenne firm was begun in 1847 when Antoine Durenne (born 1822, died 1895) purchased a small foundry near where he lived at Sommevoire, near the Val d'Osne works, Haute-Marne, France. In 1855 the first blast furnaces were installed. By the 1860s, numerous examples of bas-reliefs, fountains, statues and vases were being produced and the firm began exhibiting its wares at various exhibitions, for example the 1862 International Exhibition in Paris. By the 1870s the firm was also producing balconies, balustrades, fireplaces, lamp posts amongst its other castings. In 1888 the foundry acquired the address of S.A.d.F. du Val d'Osne, Paris, Rue du Faubourg Poissonniere, 26* *modernism website

Creator:
Antoine Durenne Foundry (Metalworker)
Dimensions:
Height: 20.48 in (52 cm)Width: 17.72 in (45 cm)Depth: 11.82 in (30 cm)
Style:
Neoclassical (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Iron,Cast
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
Mid-19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1800'S
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Hastings, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: durenne urn1stDibs: LU3311342205412

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Antoine Durenne Foundry

If you attended the Great Exhibition of 1862 you would have witnessed the unveiling of the magnificent Ross Fountain — a cast iron sculpture created by Jean-Baptiste Jules Klagmann and produced by the Antoine Durenne Foundry. This work can still be seen in West Princes Street Gardens, near Edinburgh Castle, and a number of additional significant pieces that the foundry made during the course of its long history dot a range of historic parks and gardens all over the United Kingdom.

Antoine Durenne bought the small foundry near Sommevoire in Haute-Marne, France. The foundry was located near another prestigious art foundry called the Val d’Osne. Artist Jean Pierre Andre Victor, who established the Val d’Osne, pioneered the cast iron ornamental technique, which was used in creating works of decorative cast iron (Durenne also practiced this at his foundry). The Durenne foundry began to manufacture balconies, balustrades, fireplaces and lamp posts starting in the 1870s as well as WWI memorials and large figurative sculptures, usually animals, in the 1900s.

Durenne merged with Val d’Osne and other foundries to create a co-op called the Société Anonyme des Haute-Fourneaux et Fonderies du Val d'Osne, also known as the Société Anonyme des Etablissements Metallurgiques. The Durenne foundry and the co-op was purchased in the mid-20th century by the Société Generale de Fonderie d'Hydraulique et de Mecanique, better known as GHM, which still produces work from Durenne’s original foundry in Sommevoire.

Durenne died in 1895 though his contributions to the history of cast iron sculpture and the arts have endured. He was a founding member of École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs. The legendary art and design school played a pivotal role in the iconic movement called Art Deco, and its alumni includes the likes of jewelry designer Charles Garnier, architect Hector Guimard and artist Henri Matisse. Some of the statues produced by the Antoine Durenne Foundry are protected today by various world heritage organizations.

On 1stDibs, find antique Antoine Durenne Foundry building and garden elements, decorative objects and seating.