Pair of Regency Shell Art Floral Bouquets under Glass Domes

Stunning 19th century French Empire, neoclassical/Rococo Revival style Marquetry vitrine or display cabinet, of large proportions!! A real statement piece! Made of a fabulous variety of veneers, including kingwood, satinwood, tulipwood, harewood and walnut with quality classical ormolu mounts. It has ebonized pillars in the Empire style, with walnut and exotic hardwood friezes in the Rococo style. Double glass doors to middle section and single glass doors on either side. The glass on the doors are framed in ormolu banding. Floral Marquetry panels on front and parquetry on the sides. The front central section is a pullout / pull-out drawers with gorgeous walnut frieze panel and original carved walnut knobs. Scrolling pelmet on the top in 3 sections banded in ormolu beading. Scrolling base with cabriolet feet and ormolu mounts on base. Various ormolu mounts, floral mounts, mounts of Baachus and mounts of neoclassical female figures. In 3 sections. with 2 side cabinets and large central section with 3 section pelmet, stunning piece!!! The quality ormolu mounts are marked with the letter “R” and what appears to be “FR 678”. We were originally of the belief that this piece might have been made at the very end of the 19th century, but having regard to the quality of workmanship throughout this piece we are of the opinion that it was most likely made in the third quarter of the 19th century, circa 1870 and by an obviously top quality Parisienne maker with a surname beginning with “R”. It is definitely in the style of David Roentgen who was known for his Rococo/neoclassical styles. David Roentgen, (born Aug. 11, 1743-died Feb. 12, 1807, Wiesbaden, Duchy of Nassau), cabinetmaker to Queen Marie-Antoinette of France; under his direction the family workshop at Neuwied (near Cologne), founded by his father, Abraham Roentgen, became perhaps the most-successful firm of furniture production in the 18th century. After succeeding his father as head of the Neuwied workshop in 1772, Roentgen strove to broaden their clientele, an ambition that brought him first to Hamburg and ultimately to Paris (1774), where in 1779 he was spectacularly successful in selling his finest furniture to King Louis XVI of France for £3,300 to £4,000, an unprecedented sum for the time. Appointed cabinetmaker to the queen, Roentgen was granted admission (1780) as maître-ébéniste (master cabinetmaker) to the trade corporation of Paris cabinetmakers, making it possible for him to keep in Paris a stock of the furniture manufactured at Neuwied. Thus he was able to compete with such great cabinetmakers as Jean-Henri Riesener and Adam Weisweiler, reputedly his former pupil at Neuwied. After his first visit to St. Petersburg, Empress Catherine II the Great bought huge quantities of his furniture; King Frederick William II of Prussia was also his client. When in 1795 the French Revolutionary armies threatened to cross the Rhine, Roentgen evacuated his establishment and moved his stock farther inland. Unfortunately, he lost everything in his Parisian salon and in his Neuwied workshop, both of which were sacked by Republican troops. He was crushed, despite his appointment as court furnisher to the king of Prussia. Although he never succeeded in starting production again, former apprentices of his whom he helped to establish in the German cities of Berlin (David Hacker...

Absolutely gorgeous 19th century French chandelier in the Louis XVI style. Ormolu and brass central columns and supports. Central column surrounded by three laurel wreaths. Three sheafs of wheat top the shade. Large alabaster shade with orange/brown mottled tones, the two internal lights make it transparent. Eight bulbs, two internally inside the shade and 6 on the outside, each with a frosted glass shade with brown and orange tones. Each external light...

PRESENTING A STUNNING mid to late 19C French Japy Freres & Red/Magenta Sevres Porcelain Mantle Clock with Garniture Candlestick Ewers. The clock movement is by the famous Parisienne Clockmaker … ‘Japy Freres’ and the clock dial has the marks for “JAY” (short for Japy Freres) & “Paris” on the dial face. The clock mechanism and clock face/dial have matching serial numbers of “7225”. The movement also has the numbers: “5 – 2”. The clock face/dial also has the initials: “D.H.”. The gilt ormolu clock case is gilt spelter and is signed on the rear base, for having been made by “P.H. Mourey” of Paris, who worked with and for ‘Japy Freres’, towards the end of the 19th Century. The signature of ‘Mourey’ also bears the numbers “85” … probably for 1885, but could also be the serial number. Taking into account Mourey’s historical association with Japy, being late 19th Century, we are leaning heavily towards this being the date of manufacture i.e. 1885. The Clock has RARE red/magenta Sevres hand-painted porcelain paintings/additions, to include:- (i) a 2 handled and lidded urn on the crown with pointed flame finial, (ii) a pair of bulbous urns either side of the main body and clock face, (iii) the clock face and dial itself and (iv) a flat rectangular medallion on the front base. The crown urn and the base medallion both have similar themes, but different painted scenes, depicting French rural countryside scenes with cottages, rivers and bridges. The porcelain urns on the sides, likewise have hand-painted images of a young boy, in rustic period attire on the right and a young girl on the left. None of these paintings appear to be signed. The clock case has GLORIOUS detail to it, with scrolls, ribbons, vines, grapes and Corinthian columns. The clock sits on a custom made gilt wood and burgundy velvet plinth, that is original to the piece and was a common accent with ‘Japy Freres Clocks’, when originally retailed in their Paris shop. The rear of the clock is plain and the perspex/clear resin plate insert, is a new addition, but a nice addition, in that it allows one, to view the movement and pendulum works. The clock is an 8 day movement with a strike on the hour and half hour. The clock face has 2 winding holes … one for the pendulum movement and the other for the striking chime/ring. Unlike British clocks this clock does not have a long musical chime … it is a simple ‘single strike’ on the half hour. The red/magenta Sevres porcelain clock face/dial is in SUPERB condition. Roman numerals with gilt accents and a hand-painted circular wreath/bouquet of spring flowers on the center section. To complete the set, we have a matching pair of gilt ormolu spelter and hand-painted red/magenta Sevres porcelain Ewers … which can hold a single candle each. The porcelain urns on the central section, have hand-painted images of a young lady in rustic period attire … fishing on the riverbank on the right and a young man playing the flute in the countryside on the left. The front base medallions on each ewer have hand-painted wreaths/bouquets of spring flowers. The clock facing side of the porcelain urn on each Ewer, has a brass ormolu applique head, of the Greek god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre, namely, Dionysus. The plinths are signed on the rear top left corner, and we think they read: “R.P. Unfaut”. They also bear the numbers “61” and “69”, Again, possibly for 1861 and 1869, but here we think it is more likely they are serial numbers, as it is highly unlikely that a matching pair were made 8 years apart! Whilst we cannot find any information on ‘R.P. Unfaut’, we can only guess that he/she/they worked with, or for, ‘Japy Freres’, as these ewers are unmistakably, a ‘superb’ match for the clock! The style, subject matter, gold banding and edging, around the paintings, are virtually ‘identical’ to the same decorations on the clock’s porcelain paintings. The Ewer on the left (with the boy playing the flute) appears to have a faded signature on the gold border of the painting towards the base and we think it is the signature of ‘Alexandre Evariste Fragonard’ …. one of the best known artists attached to Sevres in the mid 19th Century … meaning, that these Ewers were probably made circa 1845-50. The quality and detail to these 2 paintings is classic Fragonard! We are of the opinion, therefore that these garnitures, were made circa 35/40 years before the clock, as Mourey was prevalent with Japy around 1880 – 1900. The clock paintings are of a very similar, rustic ‘Fragonard Style’ subject matter and although unsigned, could possibly have been painted by a Sevres artist, to replicate the Fragonard paintings...

Presenting a gorgeous and extremely rare pair mid-19th century, metal tea bins, by Henry Troemner of Philadelphia, PA in the chinoiserie style. From circa 1845. Made of black enamel...

This is a pair of antique display domes. An English, glass over pine taxidermy showcase, dating to the early Victorian period, circa 1850. Superb display pair, with appealing bases...

Curios collection of hand made knitted three dimensional flowers, displayed on a mossy base. Housed in its original glass dome and ebonised base on bun feet, early 20th century in a...

Victorian Wax Flower Still Life Basket Under Round Glass Dome I USA, Circa 1880 A glimpse of the opulent world of the 19th century with this captivating...

Pair of English Victorian glass display bell domes/ Cloches with stands England, Circa 1880s Each dome of good size, fitted with removable ha...