Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 21

F. Barbedienne, a Life-Size Silvered Bronze of King Henri IV Enfant as a Child

More From This SellerView All
  • Large and Rare Patinated Bronze Bust of George Washington, by F. Barbedienne
    By F. Barbedienne Foundry
    Located in New York, NY
    A Large and Rare Patinated Bronze Bust of George Washington, after Houdon by F. Barbedienne Foundry, circa 1870. Very nice quality green patinated bronze bust of President...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French American Classical Busts

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Rare Patinated Bronze Sculpture of Benjamin Franklin, by A. Carrier-Belleuse
    By Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse
    Located in New York, NY
    Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (France, 1824-1887) A rare seated bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin holding his walking stick and hat, with a book in his ri...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French American Classical Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Mellerio Paris, A French Gold, Diamonds, Silver, and Smoky Quartz Carved Horse
    By Mellerio
    Located in New York, NY
    Mellerio Paris, A French Gold, Diamonds, Silver-Gilt, Rock-Crystal, Jade, Mother-Of-Pearl and Smoky Quartz, Carved Horse Sculpture, Jeweled Mounted Object. An extremely rare and unique, one of a kind French gold, diamonds, Silver-gilt, rock-crystal, jade, obsidian, mother-of-pearl, and smoky quartz carved jeweled sculpture "CHEVAUX DE LEGENDE", "A Legendary Horse" by Mellerio, Paris, circa 1991. Sitting on black obsidian base, the solid rock-crystal slab is finely applied with a carved smoky -quartz and jade horse with a harness mounted in 18k gold, brilliant -cut diamonds, rubies, turquoise, and amethyst chains and pendants. The top columns adorned with 18k gold and brilliant cut diamond pendants, the bottom with gold and mother of pearl plaques. The obsidian base with a plaque engraved: CHEVAUX DE LEGENDE" / N° 05 / MELLERIO DITS MELLER / PARIS / 5003 D The piece is in excellent condition and comes with a custom made wood case made for transport. It's very elegant and has French hallmarks throughout. A truly magnificent piece. Measures 10.5" high x 8.5" wide x 4" deep Founded in France in 1613 by the descendants of Italian immigrants from the Vigezzo Valley in the north of Italy, Mellerio is one of the oldest jewellery houses in Europe. The family business soon attracted the attention of the Royal Court and Marie Antoinette herself reportedly purchased a precious bracelet featuring 7 cameos surrounded by rubies in 1780. Later on, in the 19th century, Mellerio became the official supplier of the French Royal family and the Court of Netherland. Mellerio creates many jewellery items, all set with rare gems such as peridots, amethysts, aquamarines, citrines and topaz, applying for a patent, the flexible stem, a very supple and light jewellery mechanism. Mellerio remains also well known for their spectacular series of Art Nouveau jewels, created at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as for the creation of trophies rewarding some of the greatest footfall and tennis players of history. In 1993, the jewellery house launched their first watch collection. Today, Mellerio has stores in Paris, Japan and Hong Kong. July 14, 1789: this date is known throughout the world as the beginning of the French Revolution. According to a ledger belonging to House of Mellerio, this was also the day that the jeweler sold a golden key to the Comte de Coutance for 10 livres. This ledger, as well as inventories dating as far back as 1768, are the jeweler’s oldest archives. These archives have continued to grow over the years, as the House, established on rue de la Paix in Paris, still lives on today, still in the hands of the same family from Craveggia, in the North of Italy. The tumultuous history of the Mellerio family in France probably goes as far back as the Italian wars of the Renaissance, but the first official document proving their commercial activity in Paris dates back to 1613. This document is the famous royal warrant awarded by Marie de Medici to a number of Italian families established along the rue des Lombards, including the Mellerios, allowing them to sell “small jewelery items”, therefore granting them a small exception to the traditional monopoly enjoyed by Parisian jewelers. At that time, powerful corporations regulated the operations and customs of Parisian business, but thanks to this exceptional warrant, the Mellerios managed to escape the confines of this framework. Today, this wax-sealed document is kept at the city hall of Craveggia. From 1613 to the Revolution, the Mellerios lived between France and Italy. The corporations tried many times to put an end to their trade privileges, but all in vain, as a dynasty of sovereigns renewed the warrant. Always marrying and often retiring in Craveggia, the Mellerios continued to maintain their jewelry business in Paris. At first, they did this without a shop. Wearing backpacks (wooden boxes divided into small compartments where jewels were kept), they would tour town fairs around Paris and royal castles. This is how Jean-Baptiste Mellerio (1765-1850) is said to have sold a bracelet set with rubies and Antique cameos to Marie-Antoinette, which still exists today. Many elements seem to prove the veracity of this anecdote. The queen was particularly fond of cameos, which cover the entire background of her famous jewelry cabinet, and ruby was her favorite stone after diamond. The famous bracelet, reacquired a few years ago by the House of Mellerio, is indeed an 18th century jewel, set with antique cameos representing the profiles of Roman emperors. Two branches of the family were operating in Paris during this time, under the reign of Louis XVI: that of Jean-François (1746-1828), the paternal ancestor of the current Mellerios, and that of Jean-Baptiste (1765-1850). The French Revolution forced them to return to Italy. However, both Jean-Baptiste and François Mellerio (1772-1843), who was the son of Jean-François, were eventually able to return to Paris after the founding of the Consulate. Jean-Baptiste opened a shop at the Iron Crown of rue Vivienne, and François opened his at the Palais des Tuileries, rue du Coq Saint-Honoré. His well-organized order books give an idea of his high-ranking clientele during the “Old Regime”, among which were the Comte and Comtesse Octave de Segur, the Marquise (later Duchess) de Tourzel, former governess of the royal children, and her daughter, the Comtesse de Bearn, the Craufurds -who organized the flight to Varennes, the Duc and Duchess de Gramont, the Comtesse de Boigne, and Madame de Souza, Talleyrand’s mistress. We also see the names of the imperial family: Empress Josephine, the Queen of Holland, Princess Elisa, Caroline and Pauline. At that time, the House of Mellerio specialized, among other things, in the trade of antique cameos, a newly fashionable genre of jewel that captured the imagination of all the princesses and noble women of the time. The years of the Restauration and July Monarchy were among the most glorious. The Bourbons were back on the throne, and the clientele of the House of Mellerio had regained its former wealth. Mellerio supplied Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, as well as his mother, wife and sister, with sumptuous jewels, including a set of emeralds made piece by piece, while the Duke of Bourbon, last prince of the House of Condé, offered diamonds to his mistress, the scheming Baronne de Feucheres, and Monsieur de LaFayette also bought cameos for one of his granddaughters. For the first time, Mellerio ventured into the world of arts in 1815, when Carlotta Grisi, a famous dancer who created Giselle, as well as an actress named Rachel, bought jewels at the Mellerio store on rue de la Paix. 1848 marked a new turning point. France once again became a Republic. François Mellerio handed the company over to his son, Jean, and the latter decided to travel to Spain to build a new clientele. He later became one of the jewelers of the royal family, and met Eugénie de Montijo, who remained a faithful client when she became empress of the French people. The Imperial years were lavish. During the Second Empire, Paris was a pageant of crinoline dresses designed by Worth, while jewels by Mellerio, Worth’s neighbour on the rue de la Paix, adorned the noble women of the Tuileries court. The Empress bought pearls. Mathilde Bonaparte...
    Category

    20th Century French Mounted Objects

    Materials

    Jade, Quartz, Rock Crystal, Gold, Silver

  • Rare and Important Italian Alabaster Bust Sculpture of Jesus Christ, C. 1860
    Located in New York, NY
    A rare and important Italian alabaster bust sculpture of Jesus Christ, C. 1860 A modeled bust of Holy Christ wearing a crown of thorns, excep...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century Italian Baroque Busts

    Materials

    Alabaster

  • A Rare and Important American Marble Sculpture of Thomas Jefferson, Circa 1870
    Located in New York, NY
    A Rare and Important American White Marble Sculpture of Thomas Jefferson Holding The Declaration of Independence. Circa 1870, in the Manner of Horatio Stone (1808 –1875). Inscribed on scroll: 'The Declaration of Independence, It becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another. etc. etc. T. Jefferson. The present work is unsigned but is reminiscent of Horatio Stone's life-size marble figure of John Hancock...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century American American Classical Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Marble

  • Rare and Important Italian White Marble Bust Sculpture of Jesus Christ, C. 1850
    Located in New York, NY
    Rare and important Italian white marble bust sculpture of Jesus Christ, C. 1850. A truly exceptionally carved marble relief of Holy Jesus Christ. ...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century Italian Renaissance Busts

    Materials

    Marble

You May Also Like
  • 19th C Bronze Statue of a Young Henry IV After Baron Francois Joseph Bosio
    By Baron François Joseph Bosio
    Located in Savannah, GA
    This late 19th century French patenated bronze figure was copied from the original made in 1822 by Baron Francois Joseph Bosio (French, 1768-1845), which is now in Paris at the Louvr...
    Category

    Antique 1890s French Renaissance Revival Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Life-Sized, Antique, Bronze, Thai Buddha
    Located in Newport Beach, CA
    A beautiful, circa 1920, cast bronze Buddha in mid-stride atop a stylized lotus blossom. The figure is clad in see-through drapery, and is surmounted by whirls of hair capped...
    Category

    Vintage 1920s Thai Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Antique Bronze Diana of Gabii Sculpture Made & Marked F. Barbedienne & L. Collas
    By F. Barbedienne Foundry, A. Collas Brevete
    Located in Lisse, NL
    Stunning antique bronze of the goddess of hunting, of women and of the moon. She also is a great talking piece. The original Diana of Gabii is a lifesize marble statue...
    Category

    Antique Mid-19th Century French Neoclassical Mounted Objects

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Life Cast Bronze Model/Sculpture of a Human Skull
    Located in West Palm Beach, FL
    Life Cast Bronze Model/Sculpture of a Human Skull Signed and copyrighted Indistinctly, possibly by Maxilla and Mandible Ltd. New York Realistically cast and modled, in two parts with upper and lower jaws. This skull vanity (or vanitas) is a representative scientific model or a 'memento mori' , which was informed popular thinking during the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance about human mortality. This sculpture/ model was made from a real human skull...
    Category

    20th Century Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Antique Religious Bronze Wall Plaque of Holy Mary and Child after Donatello
    By Thiebaut Freres
    Located in Lisse, NL
    Symbolic and meaningful work of religious art. Since the original by Donatello is in a museum somewhere, this beautiful bronze wall plaque 'after Donatello' is the best specimen you will be able to find anywhere. The original 'Mary and Child...
    Category

    Early 20th Century French Renaissance Revival Religious Items

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Atelier Musee Du Louvre after Pilon Germain, King Henri II Bust, 1850s, France
    By Atelier de moulage du Louvre, Germain Pilon
    Located in Biebergemund, Hessen
    A French Grand Tour 19th century plaster, bust of French King Henri II made by Atelier de moulage du Louvre between 1854-1865 after Pilon Germain...
    Category

    Antique Mid-19th Century French Empire Busts

    Materials

    Plaster

Recently Viewed

View All