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Pair of F. Barbedienne Ormolu and Champlevé Enamel Vases w/ Griffin Heads, Paris

Name: Pair of F. Barbedienne Ormolu and Champlevé Enamel Vases w/ Griffin Heads, Paris
Brand: F. Barbedienne Foundry
Rating: 4.9 (17 reviews)

About the Item

A Pair of 19th Century, Napoleon III, French F. Barbedienne Signed Ormolu and Champleve Enamel Tri-Footed Vases, with Mythical Beast/Dragon Heads Each vase is formed with a flared trumpet body rising from a circular ormolu collar and supported on three scrolling feet. The feet extend outward in curved profiles and terminate in rounded pads, joined to the body by cast mythical beast heads with stylized manes. The lower section is encircled by a gilt bronze mount above a domed enamel base decorated with a scale pattern. The rim is mounted with a broad gilt lip, and the interior is fully gilt. The bodies are decorated in champlevé enamel on a turquoise ground, with scrolling foliage, flowering stems, and berry clusters defined by gilt cloisons. The enamel palette includes turquoise, cobalt blue, deep green, iron red, yellow, aubergine, and black. The champlevé fields are precisely cut, and the gilt outlines remain sharp and continuous. The ormolu mounts display clear chase work, with defined contours along the beast heads, legs, and collars. Both vases are signed BARBEDIENNE, with the signature engraved along the gilt rim. Ferdinand Barbedienne is documented as a leading French bronzier known for producing high quality ormolu mounts and decorative objects. His foundry specialized in cast and chased gilt bronze combined with enamel decoration. The presence of the signature on both examples confirms workshop production and indicates that the vases were executed as a coordinated pair. Barbedienne’s workshop was recognized for precise casting, controlled chasing, and consistent gilding. The ormolu surfaces on this pair retain an even gilded finish with minimal wear, and the chased details remain clearly articulated. The champlevé enamel shows consistent application and controlled firing across the surfaces, with balanced color distribution and intact fields. The survival of both vases as a complete pair is seldom encountered, and the corresponding mounts, enamel decoration, and signatures reflect coordinated workshop production, contributing to their desirability and market significance.

Creator:
F. Barbedienne Foundry (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)Diameter: 5.75 in (14.61 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Napoleon III (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Enamel,Champlevé,Enameled,Gilt,Hand-Crafted
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1870-1879
Date of Manufacture:
1870
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU919548752852

Shop All F. Barbedienne Foundry

F. Barbedienne Foundry

Founded by one-time Parisian wallpaper dealer Ferdinand Barbedienne and engineer Achille Collas, one of the most revered foundries in 19th-century France began with the invention of a revolutionary 1830s-era device that could produce proportional reproductions — large or small — of sculptures. Collas’s machine, which yielded miniature likenesses of antiquities for the interiors of homes the world over, was pivotal to the success of the F. Barbedienne Foundry. The successful firm earned prestigious awards and critical acclaim and created exquisite bronze candleholders, clocks and lamps for a range of wealthy and prominent clients.

The duo first launched their company under the name Société Collas et Barbedienne, and early on, they optimized chemical processes for pigmenting and patinating their bronze statuettes. After Collas died in 1859, Barbedienne forged on alone, and the company’s name changed to simply F. Barbedienne.

Barbedienne employed more than 300 workers at that point, and the Maison created a range of furnishings and decorative objects that featured the integration of marble and ormolu accents. However, with the onset of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the foundry was forced to retrofit its molds, and the production of cannons replaced sculptures, furniture and vases.

When Ferdinand Barbedienne passed away in 1891, his nephew and heir, Gustave Leblanc, took over as president, changing the name to Leblanc-Barbedienne. Leblanc expanded production into Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, carrying on the company's legacy with monumental sculptures, and models and securing production rights for famous statues. Paul-Alexandre Dumas, an Art Nouveau maker and student of Louis Majorelle, succeeded Leblanc until the company's closing in 1952.

Barbedienne pieces had been exhibited regularly in the 19th century and were especially prevalent at Europe’s international expositions and world’s fairs, where they received numerous awards. Today, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris holds dozens of Barbedienne works in its collection, including intricate mirrors, vases and cups created by Louis-Constant Sévin at the foundry. For more than two decades, Sévin created lamps, boxes and more at Maison Barbedienne. Working alongside award-winning chaser Désiré Attarge, Sévin designed Napoleon III-era works that greatly appealed to European nobility.

Other notable artists who collaborated with Barbedienne included Eugene Aizelin, Emmanuel Fremiet, Antonin Mercié, Emile Guillemin, Edouard Lievre, Ferdinand Levillain and Auguste Rodin.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Barbedienne decorative objects, lighting and collectibles.