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Pair of "Alesia" Cups by F. Barbedienne and D. Attarge, France, Circa 1878

About the Item

Signed Désiré Attarge Fit and F. Barbedienne Paris Pair of silvered bronze cups, chased by Désiré Attarge after an antique model (Ist Century), known as the Coupe d’Alésia or Canthare d’Alise-Sainte-Reine (now preserved at Antiquités Nationales Museum, Saint-Germain-en-Laye). The archaeological excavations led in Alise-Sainte-Reine (Côte-d’Or, France) were commissioned from 1861 until 1865 by His Majesty the Emperor Napoléon III in order to find back the place of the Alesia Siege, led by Caesar against Vercingétorix. As soon as 1866, F. Barbedienne was allowed by the emperor to make a replica of that cup for the Dijon Museum, as well as to reproduce it for his own clients (Coignard, "Agapes impériales", L’objet d’art, juin 1987, p. 30-41). Nowadays, some pieces are known, such the one exposed at the Château de Compiègne or another one presented at the famous Orsay Museum. One of those cups was presented at the 1878 Paris Universal Exhibition on F. Barbedienne’s stand, where his silvered works after antiques were more appreciated than his common other bronze pieces, which were however very successful. Born in 1810, Ferdinand Barbedienne started at n°30 boulevard Poissonnière in Paris one of the most famous 19th century artistic bronze casting companies. He died in 1892. In addition to his personal production, he worked for famous artists such as Auguste Clésinger, Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse and Louis Barrias. At the London Universal Exhibition of 1851, Barbedienne’s firm won two "Council medals". At the 1855 Universal Exhibition, he won a medal of honour and eleven cooperator’s medals for the work of his co-workers, such as his model designer Louis-Constant Sévin (1821-1888) and his chaser Désiré Attarge (circa 1820-1878). D. Attarge won also the Crozatier Prize in 1862 and 1864, which was awarding the France best chaser, and was once again awarded at the 1867 Universal Exhibition with a Silver medal as Barbedienne’s co-worker. Jury’s report was then very explicit : "It’s impossible to show more taste in composition and more maestria in the making of these leaves and elegant flowers, all chased with so extreme delicacy". The success of Barbedienne’s firm brought him many official commissions, such in circa 1860, as Barbedienne supplied bronzes for furniture for the Pompeian Villa of Prince Napoleon, located avenue Montaigne in Paris. Barbedienne’s production was always highly esteemed and he was, himself admired by contemporary art critics who compared him during the 1878 Universal Exhibition to a "prince of industry and the king of bronze-casting". His glory did not decline with the passage of the time for at the Universal Exhibition of 1889 the critics thanked Barbedienne for the example he set for other bronze-casters by the perfection of his bronzes.

Creator:

Désiré Attarge (Metalworker),Ferdinand Barbedienne (Manufacturer)

Dimensions:

Height: 4.34 in (11 cm)Width: 7.49 in (19 cm)Depth: 4.34 in (11 cm)

Sold As:

Set of 2

Materials and Techniques:

Bronze,Silvered

Place of Origin:

France

Period:

1870-1879

Date of Manufacture:

circa 1878

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.

Seller Location:

PARIS, FR

Reference Number:

Seller: 889/01stDibs: LU3860313527142

Shop All Ferdinand Barbedienne

Ferdinand Barbedienne

Founded by one-time Parisian wallpaper dealer Ferdinand Barbedienne and engineer Achille Collas, one of the most revered foundries in 19th-century France began with the invention of a revolutionary 1830s-era device that could produce proportional reproductions — large or small — of sculptures. Collas’s machine, which yielded miniature likenesses of antiquities for the interiors of homes the world over, was pivotal to the success of the F. Barbedienne Foundry. The successful firm earned prestigious awards and critical acclaim and created exquisite bronze candleholders, clocks and lamps for a range of wealthy and prominent clients.

The duo first launched their company under the name Société Collas et Barbedienne, and early on, they optimized chemical processes for pigmenting and patinating their bronze statuettes. After Collas died in 1859, Barbedienne forged on alone, and the company’s name changed to simply F. Barbedienne.

Barbedienne employed more than 300 workers at that point, and the Maison created a range of furnishings and decorative objects that featured the integration of marble and ormolu accents. However, with the onset of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the foundry was forced to retrofit its molds, and the production of cannons replaced sculptures, furniture and vases.

When Ferdinand Barbedienne passed away in 1891, his nephew and heir, Gustave Leblanc, took over as president, changing the name to Leblanc-Barbedienne. Leblanc expanded production into Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, carrying on the company's legacy with monumental sculptures, and models and securing production rights for famous statues. Paul-Alexandre Dumas, an Art Nouveau maker and student of Louis Majorelle, succeeded Leblanc until the company's closing in 1952.

Barbedienne pieces had been exhibited regularly in the 19th century and were especially prevalent at Europe’s international expositions and world’s fairs, where they received numerous prizes. Today, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris holds dozens of Barbedienne works in its collection, including intricate mirrors, vases and cups created by Louis-Constant Sévin at the foundry. For more than two decades, Sévin created lamps, boxes and more at Maison Barbedienne. Working alongside award-winning chaser Désiré Attarge, Sévin designed Napoleon III-era works that greatly appealed to European nobility.