18th Century French Huge Copper Water Container

Before describing the object under consideration, we must make an important clarification; the artifact, one of many that we will publish over time, is part of the museum collection of a historic Florentine crystal grinder that unfortunately closed recently. It is the Marcello Galgani & Son company, whose completely manual and artisanal work has not withstood the disproportionate advance of mass-produced mechanical processes! Marcello Galgani began his craft as a grinder and restorer in 1960; as the years went by, Marcello mastered and became familiar with particular techniques and shapes, resulting in the production of objects that manage to retain the freshness of grinding and engraving, the warmth and softness of light, and the inimitable flavor of unique artifacts. After several years, his son Lorenzo, who grew up among crystals, also entered the business and immediately became passionate about this ancient craft with skill and ability. Stimulated by the aesthetic sense of the past, father and son, set up a workshop in which the shapes they researched and created themselves are mouth-blown by traditional Tuscan glassmakers in Empoli, then ground and engraved using ancient sixteenth-century techniques, with motifs born from the Galgani's inexhaustible imagination or culturally inspired by designs of objects seen and studied in Florentine museums (Uffizi, Galleria Palatina, Museo degli Argenti, etc.). Marcello and Lorenzo Galgani were also Masters in the difficult art of restoration, bringing rare and precious objects back to life. As mentioned the company recently closed and disposed of all its last production, and only Marcello's old private museum collection remained, which includes unique and special objects created over time, a collection that the craftsman made available to us for a planned sale. All of the objects were made entirely by hand with old grinding wheels, but there were mainly two tools that allowed the creation of masterpieces: the right hand and the left hand of the master craftsman. Ancient glassmaking techniques were used for all the ground and engraved products: first, the object was ground with an emery wheel fed continuously by a jet of abrasive sand and water, then re-polished with a very fine-grained sandstone wheel also fed with water; the engravings were done freehand using as many as 10-15 small stone wheels for each design (flowers, branches, animals, etc. ); then the object was polished and shined; we must make, at this point, an important clarification on these last two operations: towards the end of the 1960s acid crystal polishing was devised, the object was immersed and rotated in a solution of sulfuric acid, fluoridic acid and water and in a short time all the defects left by the previous processes were eliminated, it was a fast, industrial operation that allowed to lower costs considerably, with discrete but not excellent results. But for Galgani's products polishing is done with a cork bark wheel wet with water and pumice, to make the surfaces more transparent, and finally polishing was achieved with a felt wheel wet with a paste of water, iron oxide, and cerium oxide. This series of processes takes an average of two days of work( sometimes much longer) for each object, each engraving or grinding is the result of the creative inventiveness of the two artisans, inventiveness that transforms crystal into reality material of the highest aesthetic value and inestimable value. All the items in the entire collection have never been used; they were part of the exhibition. Large crystal vase with base; the decorations, graceful and delicate, are in Neoclassical style. The object is "one-of-a-kind" signed by the Master; it was created in Marcello Galgani's workshop in 1981 and made with the techniques (grinding, engraving, and polishing) we explained in the description; for the shape, the Master was inspired by a vase found in a painting, preserved in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence by the 16th-century painter Jacopo Ligozzi...

We kindly invite you to read the entire description, as we provide detailed technical and historical information to ensure the authenticity of our objects. These stunning vases display clear Art Deco influences, evident in the geometric lines and squared, decorative handles adorned with elegant gilding. The tapered, symmetrical shape is typical of the 1920s and 1930s when Art Deco was at its peak. The predominant color is a deep cobalt blue, characteristic of high-quality ceramic production from that era, associated with a refined decorative style. The gilded handles create a striking and luxurious visual contrast with the rest of the design. The geometric gilded handles, distinctive in their elegance, reflect neoclassical influences reinterpreted through the lens of Art Deco. The decorative details on the handles were applied by hand, a hallmark of fine ceramic craftsmanship. The ceramic used is glazed earthenware. The glossy finish suggests the use of vitreous glazes, applied to achieve a shiny, even surface. The gilding on the handles may have been done using the ceramic lustre technique, where gold is applied at a low temperature after an initial firing, resulting in a durable, shiny finish. The vases date to the period between 1925 and 1930, as indicated by the stamps on the bottom. The Orchies pottery factory was one of the leading French manufacturers specializing in ceramics, located in Orchies, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. Founded in 1886 by Désiré Leroy, the company quickly gained a reputation for the quality of its products and its distinctive trademark, often featuring the silhouette of a windmill, a typical symbol of that region of France. Initially focused on decorative ceramics and household items, the factory later expanded by merging with other local manufacturers, broadening its range of products. A key figure in the company's growth was Jules Auguste Hamin, who helped drive its expansion and brand development. Orchies products were renowned for their craftsmanship and the high quality of materials used. The ceramics were produced using a variety of techniques, including terracotta and glazed stoneware. Orchies excelled in the creation of decorative vases, tableware, pitchers, and other ornamental objects. Bright colors and glossy finishes were characteristic of many of their works, which blended elements of local tradition with Art Nouveau influences. During its golden age, Orchies not only dominated the French market but also exported its ceramics to several European countries and beyond. Its quality craftsmanship and refined design made its products highly valued by both the general public and collectors of art ceramics. The Orchies factory played a major role in the French ceramic industry from the late 19th to the early 20th century, contributing significantly to the development of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais ceramic tradition. However, like many factories of the time, Orchies faced increasing industrial competition and the economic crises of the 20th century, ultimately ceasing operations in the mid-1900s. Today, Orchies ceramics are highly sought after by collectors for their beauty and rarity. The windmill silhouette, imprinted on many of their pieces, remains a distinctive mark of quality and elegance. This pair of vases is a beautiful example of French Art Deco ceramics...

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