French Decorative Objects

A glass vase gradated in light blue, overlaid with a darker blue. The “Palmier Bleu” motif resembles a palm tree and its foliage. This vase is part of the Palmier Bleu series by Le V...

Couple of Elephants by Charles Lemanceau at Saint-Clement's, France, 1920s. A beautiful example of French art ceramics, this pair of elephants by Charles Lemanceau was produced at th...

Picasso (after) Pitcher "Heads", 1956 Edition Atelier Madoura Vallauris, France White earthenware clay with oxidized paraffin decoration 500 copies p...

A rare, hand-painted 19th C. French Imari Porcelain Vase with Cast Brass Gallery and Base on Pawfeet, with fluted body of baluster form rising ...

Le pichet canard de Saint Clément, en faïence barbotine, modèle 7492, est un véritable chef-d'œuvre qui illustre l'élégance et le savoir-faire des artistes Émile et Charles Gallé. Ce...

A pair of campagna-form Vieux Paris porcelain urns with male and female figures painted on one side of each and ancient ruins on the reverse, gilt decoration. Circa 1800, French.

A good antique French 'Grand Tour' bronze novelty inkwell modeled as a drum, circa 1850. The inkwell is finely & realistically cast as a French Revolutionary period drum. The inkwell...

"Female Nude" Bronze sculpture with brown- green patina. Old edition Fonte performed by Alexis Rudier. Signed Hubert Yencesse. Foundry’s mark Alexis R...

A refined round picture frame in Louis XVI style. Ornate with flower garlands, ribbon and bow. Made in France around 1880-1890. The picture frame is in very good condition. Beautiful...

A very fine and rare set of four baluster-shaped covered vases made of faceted ovoid cut Baccarat crystal and adorned with a bronze mount of exceptional quality and kept with its ori...

Pair of signed and numbered Gustave Asch porcelain vases crafted by Gustave Asch in the late 19th century. Each vase is highlighted with cascading wine grapes, branches and leaves, a...

Original Vintage French Champagne Buckets - Quantity Available. Classic French champagne buckets. Aluminium. Listing is for one randomly selected bucket. Workshop Report: Our work...

"Miniature Boating Vase" by Daum Frères A very fine early 20th Century miniature cameo glass vase etched etched with a scene of boats afloat on a sea landscape against a warm yellow...

A French Empire table clock, first half of the 19th century. Measures: Width 30, depth 11, height 38 cm. Key included. Later added hatch at back. F...

A stunning crystal vase - 'Made in France', and a compliment any room on a center table, dining table or mantle... The look of water splashing in motion is represented here in great ...

This lovely French Art Deco picture photo frame features a thick black opaline glass plinth complimented with two polished chromed metal holders and two chromed bead accents. The pho...

A very fine 19th century French Louis XVI gilt bronze mantle clock . Signed by the clockmaker

18th century French hand carved and painted wood statue still shows vestiges of its original painted finish. Depicting a nun reading a bible, the n...

Pair of art deco bookends in spelter with bronze and green patina on a sea green marble base, representing borzoi. Small old restoration on one of the corners of the base. Signed o...

A large and impressive French 19th century life-size bust depicting Othello, the North African Moor of Venice character in the 1603 play written by William Shakespeare (1564-1616), a...

Daum, France, created this adorable crystal owl figurine paperweight or ornamental sculpture by hand in the late 1960s. The sculpture features a lovely night owl with dimensional car...

A stunning and eclectic addition to your office or display, this silver plated Hermès letter opener is incredibly rare. In the shape of a pheasant, with an elegant blade of tail feat...

This is an Emile Galle small urn shaped landscape cameo vase. It has a frosted yellow glass background highlighted by different shades of brown color. The brown color get darker at the round base and covers it completely. The landscape cameo depicts a countryside scenery with trees, a lake and a small barn fence. Some of the trees are reflected in the lake. The glass vase is signed Galle. The urn vase comes with a round wood pedestal.

A glazed terracotta jar from South of France. 17th or 18h Century. Extraordinary original outside patina. Report of condition : two small hole and one hole on the base to permit w...

About product: Lumax ashtrey by Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand. Manufactured in France, circa 1970. The Lumax Ashtray by Le Corbusier is an iconic design piece. It was designe...

This stunning 19th-century French gilt bronze mantel clock is a true testament to craftsmanship and timeless design. Featuring intricate Gothic cathedral-inspired detailing, this clo...

French Champlevé Enamel, Onyx & Ormolu Bud Vase with Applied Bee, Circa 1880 A rare and exquisitely detailed French champlevé enamel bud vase, dating to the late 19th century and in...

This lifelike plaster sculpture of a shirtless Zouave standing with his hands clasped behind his back came from the personal collection of Thierry Despont (1948 - 2023), perhaps best...

Pair of 19th century candelabra featuring patinated bronze female figures on onyx bases with six (6) ormolu candle holders, France.

Clarté life size Art Deco bronze lamp standing nude with globe by Max Le Verrier. Patinated bronze on octagonal wooden base and with crackled glas...

Smallest model of the famous "Clarté" “Lueur Lumineuse” Original “Max Le Verrier” Art Deco style, France. Table lamp, lighted sculpture made in spelter / white-bonze (french = Régu...

A large and impressive late 19th Century bronze study of the famous Venus de Milo sculpture of antiquity with excellent rich brown patina and good hand finished surface detail, inscribed F.Barbedienne foundry ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Height: 95 cm Width: 28 cm Depth: 28 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1890 Materials: Bronze Foundry: F.Barbedienne SKU: 7741 ABOUT The Barbedienne Foundry is a famous 19th century bronze foundry, whose statues and art objects became rapidly very renowned. This bronze studio co-worked with other trades, and put his name to a great variety of works, such as furnishing in particular. Attending every World's Fair of its time, the Barbedienne Foundry was regularly awarded, notably at the World's Fair of 1855 where it was awarded the Great Medal of Honor. A Parisian bronze maker and caster, Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) creates a firm in 1839 in collaboration with Achille Collas, the inventor of the mechanical method to obtain copies of sculptures at a smaller scale. With this groundbreaking proceed, they facilitated an unprecedented production. Under the “Collas et Barbedienne” name, they specialized in Antiquity copies and perfected new chemical methods for the color and patina finish of their bronzes. As a true Romantic, Ferdinand Barbedienne is committed to democratization of arts, he thus realizes numerous Antiquity copies and stimulates his contemporaries’ works broadcasting. A great deal of famous sculptures are hence cast by the Barbedienne Foundry. All his life, Barbedienne co-worked with the greatest artists, sculptors or designers of his time, such as Edouard Lievre, Ferdinand Levillain, Attarge, Aizelin, Barye or Fremiet. Statues aside, he products a great deal of decorative artifacts, such as clocks, vases, mirrors, etc. Since 1855, Ferdinand Barbedienne collaborates with the famous decoration designer Louis-Constant Sévin (1821-1888). Joining the firm as a sculptor-designer, he stays loyal to it his life long, always finding more new designs for daily objects, which hence become true art works. Sevin’s creations, specialized in the “Neo-Greek” style, were particularly appreciated for antiquity reference in decorative arts, just like the great mirror preserved by the Orsay Museum. He also teams up with enamelers including Alfred Serre, and develops a set of “cloisonnés” enamels that made the headlines at the World's Fair of 1862 in London, which was the very beginning of the art of enamel’s return. In collaboration with Serre, Barbedienne realized between 1878 and 1889 the Monumental Clock in Renaissance style, decorated with enamels, which is preserved in the Paris City Hall. Venus de Milo Facts about Venus de Milo sculpture. For much of the world, the mystery of the Venus de Milo lies in her missing arms. But there’s much more to this iconic statue than a couple of absent appendages. 1. Venus de Milo‘s title is a bit misleading. It’s popularly believed that this Grecian statue depicts the Greek Goddess of love and beauty, who was often rendered half-naked. However, the Greeks would have called this deity Aphrodite. Nonetheless, the Roman-inspired Venus de Milo caught on. 2. She’s named in part for where she was discovered. On April 8, 1820, a farmer named Yorgos Kentrotas came across the statue in pieces within the ruins of an ancient city on the island of Milos (formerly known as Melos). 3. Alexandros of Antioch is credited with her creation. A sculptor of the Hellenistic period, Alexandros is believed to have carved this masterpiece between 130 and 100 BCE. The inscription on the plinth—the slab on which the statue rested—that identified him as Venus de Milo‘s creator was lost nearly 200 years ago. 4. She might not be Venus. Some have suggested the sculpture is not Aphrodite/Venus, but Amphitrite, the sea goddess who was particularly adored on Milos. Still others have proposed she’s Victory, or perhaps a prostitute. With her arms long missing, would-be context clues have been lost for centuries. A spear could have meant one thing, a spool of thread another. If she held an apple—as some reports claim—it could mean she was Aphrodite, holding the award given to her by Paris before the Trojan War began. To this day, it’s a matter of passionate debate. 5. She became a gift to the King of France. When Kentrotas called upon a French naval officer to help him unearth the spectacular sculpture, he began a chain of events that would eventually lead to the Marquis de Rivière presenting Venus de Milo to Louis XVIII. In turn, the ruler gave the statue to the Louvre, where it is on display to this very day. 6. The loss of her limbs is the fault of the French. Kentrotas did find fragments of an arm and a hand when he uncovered the statue in the ruins, but as Venus de Milo was being reassembled, those arms were discarded for having a “rougher” appearance. Modern art historians believe that the variation of finish does not mean those arms did not belong to Venus, but both the arms and the original plinth have been lost since the piece moved to Paris in 1820. 7. The original plinth was ditched on purpose. Sight unseen, early 19th century art historians decided the newly discovered Venus must have been the work of Greek artist Praxiteles, and publicized the work as such. This attribution would have placed the piece in the Classical period (5th through 4th centuries BCE), which was more respected artistically than the Hellenistic period. To save face and better promote Venus de Milo—even at the cost of misinforming the public—the plinth was removed before it was presented to the King. 8. Venus de Milo was meant to make up for a national embarrassment. During his conquests, Napoleon Bonaparte had plundered one of the finest examples of Greek sculpture, Venus de’ Medici, from Italy. In 1815, the French government returned that beloved sculpture, but in 1820, France embraced the chance to fill the hole its absence left in the French culture and national pride. As such, Venus de Milo was promoted as being even greater than Venus de’ Medici upon her Louvre debut. The ploy worked, and the piece was met with almost universal praise from artists and critics. 9. Renoir was not impressed. Perhaps the most famous of Venus de Milo‘s detractors, the celebrated Impressionist painter dismissed this delicate depiction of grace and female beauty as “a big gendarme.” 10. She went into hiding during World War II. By the autumn of 1939, war threatened to descend on Paris, so Venus de Milo along with some other priceless pieces, such as Winged Victory of Samothrace and Michelangelo’s Slaves, were whisked away for safekeeping at various châteaux in the French countryside. 11. She’s been robbed! Venus is missing more than just her arms. She was originally draped in jewellery including a bracelet, earrings and a headband. These flourishes are long lost, but the holes for fixing them to the piece remain in the marble, giving clues to the missing accessories. 12. She lost her colour. While it’s easy for today’s art admirers to think of Greek statues as white, the marble was often painted in the style of polychromy. However, no trace of the original paint scheme remains on Venus de Milo today. 13. She’s taller than most people. Even with her slight slouch, Venus de Milo stands at 6 feet 8 inches tall. 14. She could be a copy. Art historians have noted that Venus de Milo bears a striking resemblance to Aphrodite of Capua, which is a Roman era copy of a possibly late 4th century BCE bronze Greek original. That would be at least 170 years before Alexandros carved his goddess, leading some to speculate that both statues are actually replicas of an older statue...

A painted case, enamel dial with brass surround and an elaborately decorated pendulum are the defining characteristics of a Morbier clock. At nearly eigh...

"Panther on the lookout",  sculpture hard to find in bronze, with brown patina The portor marble terrace is signed by the artist DH Chiparus Good conditi...

This antique set of four stoppered scent or perfume bottles was made in France in circa 1880 in the period Victorian style by an unknown maker. The uniquely shaped three sided bottle...

French Majolica vase with fishs and shells, circa 1880. Bamboo handles.   

Superb Baccarat crystal vase. A masterpiece of French Art Nouveau. Crafted in the late 1800s / early 1900s, it echoes the elegance of a holly tree, its branches and leaves dancing in...

Excellent French mid 19th Century Animalier bronze group of a stag and doe in a wooded landscape exhibiting excellent hand finished surface detail and rich brown patina, raised on an...

Hand-woven wire sculpture by Ulrikk Dufossé Dimensions: H 205 x ø 54 cm Unique piece, made in France. Lead time: 8-10 weeks An example of skillfu...

Looking for Equilibrium Sculpture by MCB Ceramics Unique piece. Dimensions: D 20 x H 75 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Numerated and signed by the artist. All ...

An outstanding and exquisite 17th century French capital to a pilaster. Expertly carved from wood with a wonderful cherub stunningly finished in water g...

EMMANUEL FREMIET French, 1824-1910 "Chien Levrier" Patinated bronze signed E. Fremiet in naturalistic base cold-stamped 85, a Charles More cast Item # 411PRB18X An exquisite mo...

These rare objets d’art feature intricately hand-cut and painted tole foliage, gracefully shaped into classical topiary forms. Adorning each piece are delicate porcelain flowers—each...

Wonderful naturalistic utensil desk tray in the design of two hazelnut leaves and hazelnuts on top. Signed at the bottom "Louchet Ciseleur". At the bottom of the hazelnuts is a sta...

Art Deco Sculpture The Archer Hercules by Max Le Verrier This sculpture shows the classic pose of The Archer / Hercules, son of Zeus, drawing his bow....

Art Deco female figure - Sculpture bookends, France, 1920s. Pair of female bookends in silver plated finish, great pose in the Art Deco style, made in France. We have specialized in...

A fine quality monumental gilt bronze three-piece clock garniture. Comprising a fine quality large gilt bronze eight-arm figural rococo candelabra a...

A wonderful jewelry box in gilt cast bronze by Parisian art jeweler Line Vautrin (1913-1997). From a small special series, the designer created circa 1945-55. on which some French poems were cast in relief on the cover. This box features a well-known love poem "Sonnet" by Félix Arvers (1806 – 1850), widely considered as one of the most romantic French poems written about unrequited love and longing. Three out of four passages are shown on the lid except the third one. The box is lined with cork. There is a line on the back from casting, commonly seen in the boxes of the series. Mon âme a son secret, ma vie a son mystère, Un amour éternel en un moment conçu Le mal est sans espoir, aussi j'ai dû le taire, Et celle qui l'a fait n'en a jamais rien su. Hélas ! j'aurai passé près d'elle inaperçu, Toujours à ses côtés, et pourtant solitaire. Et j'aurai jusqu'au bout fait mon temps sur la terre, N'osant rien demander et n'ayant rien reçu. Pour elle, quoique Dieu l'ait faite douce et tendre, Elle suit son chemin, distraite et sans entendre Ce murmure d'amour élevé sur ses pas. À l'austère devoir, pieusement fidèle, Elle dira, lisant ces vers tout remplis d'elle " Quelle est donc cette femme ? " et ne comprendra pas. A secret fills my soul, and a mystery fills my life, An eternal love conceived in an instant. As the scourge was hopeless, it remained wordless, And the one responsible was unaware of it. Alas! I lived close to her but without notice, Always by her side yet so lonely. And I shall have lived my days on this Earth, Not daring to ask for anything, obtaining nothing. Even though God made her gentle and tender, She goes her way, careless and oblivious To the sough of love rising...

Daum, France, created this adorable crystal teddy bear paperweight or ornamental sculpture in the late 1960s. The sculpture features a lovely sitting bear with dimensional carving. T...

French Majolica Money or Coin Bank Dog Circa 1900.

René Lalique (1860-1945) Vase "LAURIERS" (1922) An Exceptional Work to Acquire. Discover the magnificent "LAURIERS" vase by René Lalique, an exceptional piece that combines the art ...

1960's Vintage New Old Stock Bonbon Tins - Large Quantity Available. We sourced these tins from a tin factory in the south east of France. New old stock and never used. The tins we...

Antique 18th Century French three-colour gold snuff box, of oval shape. The hinged lid is adorned with an engraved foliate motif, featuring a quiver and flaming torch. The box is bor...

A wonderful French gilt bronze and cut crystal ormolu-mounted pedestal bowl in the manner of Baccarat. The almost identical one is also available AC851.

Large antique pair of Gothic Cathedral Motif brass prickets - Church/Altar candlesticks with gothic architectural design elements. Ric.0043.    

Article: Set of two modernist metal plant pots. Design: Attributed to Mathieu Mategot Origin: France Description: This ori...

Place this elegant, antique Napoleon III silverplated box in your master bath to keep your jewelry safe and organized. Crafted in France circa 1870, and built of bronze, the rectangular casket with raised top, sits on small scrolled feet, and is dressed with lion face handles on both sides. All sides including the top are decorated with detailed repousse floral and leaf motifs in high relief throughout; the top is decorated with a oval medallion featuring Poseidon, one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology...

Bronze Animal Sculpture of a Bull, Model by Pablo Picasso . Bronze animal sculpture of a Bull, XXI century, lost wax casting, modern work, model by Picasso. Dimensions: h: 13.5cm, ...

A fabulous French antique, circa 1850, Sevres style porcelain mounted gilt metal mantel clock by Parisian sculptor and merchant Louis Hottot (1829-1905), with stamped Japy Freres sil...

This gilt bronze French Art Nouveau figural sculpture of Loïe Fuller by Henri Levasseur features the dancer performing her famous dance of veils. Fuller stands nude, one foot in fron...