Skip to main content
Video Loading
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 12

A Fine Pair of Bronze Urns or Vases and Covers c.1870

About the Item

A Fine Pair of Bronze Urns or Vases and Covers After a Design Believed to Have Been Made By the French Animalier Auguste Nicolas Cain c.1870 The urns each on a shaped black marble socle, decorated overall in high relief with lizards and snails amongst dense fruiting vines, with further vines on the cover and finial. French, c.1870. Although of basically classical form, the vases are essentially Campana urns, these beautiful pieces are believed to have been designed by one of the most important of the 19th century French school of sculptors now known as Les Animaliers due to their skill in capturing the likenesses of animals, both wild and domestic, in bronze. Auguste Nicolas Cain (1821-1894) was apprenticed to the even more renowned P. J. Mene-also an animalier-and later married his mentor’s daughter. Showing great promise from an early age, Cain first exhibited at the Salon in Paris in 1846 and between this date and 1888 he exhibited no less than 38 models in exhibitions in this venue. From around 1868, Cain began to concentrate on monumental sculpture and one of his most famous pieces, a lioness carrying a peacock to her cubs, was spotted in advance of being exhibited at the Paris Exhibition of 1867 and a cast was generously presented to the people of Glasgow where it stands to this day in Kelvingrove Park. Later a further cast was presented to the people of New York and it stands in Central Park Zoo. These fine urns display all of Cain’s trademark attention to detail and the quality of the casting is outstanding. The urns are covered in very high relief sculpted detail, comprising vines, fruit, snails and lizards and the textures of the surfaces are brought out by extremely fastidious chasing. Although rare models, other versions of this design have appeared on the art market in the recent past. However we have not yet been able to find another pair which retained their covers. It is most satisfying that ours have survived in such fine condition and they would grace any fine interior, sure to be a talking point in any setting.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 12.5 in (31.75 cm)Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)Depth: 0.1 in (2.54 mm)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1880
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Lymington, GB
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU973024863062

More From This Seller

View All
Pair Napoleon III Egyptian Imperial Porphyry Urns and Covers
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A pair Napoleon III Egyptian imperial porphyry urns and covers, each with a shaped cover and baluster body on a concave support and square b...
Category

Antique 1870s French Egyptian Urns

Materials

Ormolu

A pair of Chinese Canton Rose Medallion Vases and Covers
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A pair of Chinese vases and covers, each of baluster form with a domed cover and a stylized gilt Fo-dog finial and handles, decorated in colored...
Category

Antique 1880s Chinese Vases

Materials

Enamel

Pair of Regency Classical Gilt Bronze Vases
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A pair of Regency classical gilt bronze vases, each in the form of a shallow gadrooned bowl with an acorn finial supported by three goat-headed terms ...
Category

Antique 1810s English Regency Vases

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Large Meiji Period Bronze Vases
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A pair of large Meiji period bronze vases, each of baluster form raised on three oni-mask feet on a ring-shaped base, applied with arched mask-and-ring handles, finely inlaid in patinated metals, silver and gilt with boys playing around a large water jar...
Category

Vintage 1910s Japanese Meiji Vases

Materials

Bronze

A fine pair of unusual ormolu mounted Chinese porcelain vases
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A fine pair of unusual ormolu mounted Chinese porcelain vases, each painted in famille rose enamels and gilt, of baluster form with a pleated neck and fo-dog handles, applied with gi...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Vases

Materials

Ormolu

Pair of Exhibition Quality Meiji Period Rotating Bronze and Mixed Metal Vases
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
Each of baluster form with a trumpet neck and oni-mask handles, set on a tripod base with high splayed feet and a turned circular base with a central aperture, worked in high relief ...
Category

Antique 1880s Japanese Meiji Vases

Materials

Bronze

You May Also Like

Very Fine Pair of Gilded Bronze and White Marble Covered Urns
Located in New York, NY
Very fine pair of gilded bronze and white marble covered urns from early 19th century, France.    
Category

Antique Early 19th Century French Urns

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Pair of Berlin Porcelain Two-Handled Covered Urns, circa 1870
Located in New York, NY
Each relief molded urn flanked by upright handles, painted with roundels with a scene of lovers on the front and back, on a cobalt blue ground.
Category

Antique 1870s German Urns

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Pair of Fine Patinated Bronze and Marble Urns
Located in London, GB
Antique and fine and unusual patinated bronze and black marble urns. Set upon black marble circular bases the bulbous body beautifully reeded. The delicately fluted neck rising to a ...
Category

Antique 1830s Italian Vases

Materials

Bronze

Neoclassical Pair of Patinated and Dore Bronze Empire Covered Urns
Located in New York, NY
A gorgeous and rare neoclassical pair of patinated and doré bronze Empire period covered urns with doré bronze cupid masks and foliage scroll doré bronze handles. Each is beautifully...
Category

Antique 1820s French Empire Urns

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Mounted Porcelain Pair Covered Urns
Located in Tarry Town, NY
19th Century bronze mounted pair porcelain decorative urns with exterior hand painted romantic scene and floral details. Artist signature "P.Philippot". Each urn is in great antique ...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Urns

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Neoclassical Bronze Urns or Planters
Located in Toledo, OH
Pair of heavy bronze urns or planters, circa early 20th Century. Beautifully detailed with swags and rosettes encircling the rim, feathers on each of the 3 tripod legs, and leaves ar...
Category

Early 20th Century Neoclassical Urns

Materials

Bronze

Recently Viewed

View All