French Collectibles and Curiosities

Rare Automaton Whistler by Henry Phalibois, with papier-mache character head modeled with puckered, slightly-open lips, defined cheek bones, slender neck, threaded blue paperweight e...

Unusual size, made of carved Beech with articulated joints and old patinated surface. These were designed to illustrate the human body's joints function. Made in Provence circa 1890....

French 19th century Beauvais tobacco stoneware A collection of six stoneware pots, early 19th Century, raised decoration with salt glaze finish and pewter (hinged) lids. Three toba...

Le Corbusier Der Modulor book. Le Corbusier published Le Modulor in 1948, followed by Modulor 2 in 1955. These works were first published in English as The ...

Study camera with bellows in very good condition, two objectives and mounted on easel on casters for professional use that has crank for the adjustment of the camera in height and in...

Classic Cartier Silver Plated Cigarette Lighter With A Red Cartier Presentation Box Fully Serviced working makes for an ideal gift.

Antique French pair of shell casings from the World War I Very typical of this war because the freedom of Alsace and Lorraine was one of the many issues at stake in this confrontati...

This is a pair of vintage cased opera glasses. A French, brass and Mother of Pearl Galilean binocular, dating to the mid 20th century, circa 1950...

Standing at 21 inches in height, this set of large late nineteenth century French solid brass scales features two hanging brass pans that hang from chains. Six accompanying gram wei...

Vintage metal and glass traditional French soda syphon. By unknown manufacturer, made in circa 1970. In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserv...

Swis music box with original tune sheet, cylinder, comb and the brass bed plate, within a rosewood case, the lid inlaid with boxwood lines and a central motif. Dimensions Height 8 ...

A 19th Century large heavy forged iron anchor from a French canal barge. Warm rusty patina. The shackle does not move. Circa 1880-1900. Weight: 97Lbs. 33.5"W x 50"H x 5.5"D

This set of antique ceramic water filters was crafted in Provence, France, circa 1870. Originally designed as promotional display pieces for a French pharmacy, each vessel advertises...

God's Lamp/Church Chandelier brass early 20th century Sanctuary lamp Art Nouveau style Beautiful authentic brass Church chandelier/God's lam...

Listen to soft, cheerful music in your living room with this traditional, antique music box. Crafted in Paris, France circa 1920, the wood case with inlaid decor, has black painted ...

Wonderful antique French mercury barometer. Louis XVI ormolu style with elaborate cast bronze leaves and polychrome paint. Features a large squirrel tail thermometer and decorative s...

Shipping policy No additional costs will be added to this order. Shipping costs will be totally covered by the seller (customs duties included). With hinged gnomon, hour ring and l...

Circa 1960s Cartier France 18K yellow gold whimsical and unusual Lion Brooch. Hand chased and detailed gold work and set with round cabochon carnelian stones and further set with dia...

Unique and stunning French Art Deco three-door miniature armoire with mirror, brass handles, and hand-carved floral ornaments. Two removable shelves. Most probably it was a prototype of a large Art...

c. 1770s pedal harp manufactured by Georges Cousineau (1733-1800), a French luthier who specialized in harps; Cousineau's signature is present on the soundboard as well as the city o...

19th Century, French Faience Enameled Chinoiserie Table Top Cabinet. A very fine french enameled cabinet with chinoiserie decoration to the exterior and a white enamel to interior. G...

For the collectors of rare, beautiful, meaningful and usable Gothic Revival antiques. At the bottom of this strikingly colorful and stylish Gothic mirror is the Latin phrase Monstra...

19th Century French gothic cathedral giltwood & glass reliquary / vitrine France, mid-19th century. A reliquary is a container for the display an...

An 18th century wax seal in brass with boxwood handle with a nice aged old patina Important noble coat of arms Height 8.5 cm, surface area of the seal 3 cm, diameter top boxwood gri...

Rare first edition of Le Surréalisme en 1947, a seminal work curated by André Breton and featuring the iconic cover design Prière de Toucher by Marcel Duchamp. Published in Paris by ...

Refined "guilloché" smoking set for two people in silver. Contains match holders and ashtrays. Original case included. Very rare collectors piece. Hermès Each piece hallmarked, fur...

Although the 18th century, the period of the Enlightenment in France, spawned thinkers who criticised the privileges of the clergy and the truthfulness of certain dogmas, the Roman Catholic faith was very much present in everyday life. Since king Louis XIV had issued the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685, Protestantism was banned. This Madonna with child illustrates the daily practice of faith. Like many 18th-century Madonna statues...

Vintage handmade world globe standing on a base with small compass in the bottom. The piece is in fare condition with no restaurations ever made. France, circa 1950

AUTHOR: COLETTE, Sidonie-Gabrielle. TITLE: Oeuvres Completes De Colette. (The Complete Works of Colette). PUBLISHER: Paris: Flammarion, Le Fleuron, 1948-1950, DESCRIPTION: THE FI...

Faisandiere or Daubiere or Chaponniere, Louis XIV, oval tripod in bronze, with a crenellated lid with a U-shaped handle, from the end of the 17th / beginning of the 18th century. Su...

Gorgeous mid/late 1800 religious art for the collectors and enthousiasts. In antiques it very often is the case that how older the piece is, the better the quality and the details. ...

A 19th Century, white-grey antique French miniature model of a Palladio style gazebo with a domed roof and topped with a small urn shaped finial, columns and circular base. The detai...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique French 18 karat yellow gold thimble; an addition to our diverse range of collectable antiques. This exceptional antique French 18 karat...

This rare paradoxical planetarium demonstrates the rotation and revolution motion of the system of the planet Jupiter and the Medici satellites. The base is made of ebonized fruit wo...

A Rare and Exquisite French Silver and Enameled Two-Compartment Chalice Cup by Jules Wièse for François-Désiré Froment-Meurice, circa 1850 This exceptional 19th-century chalice cup,...

Pop art Niki de Saint Phalle double sided inflatable plastic Snake collectibles, France, 1999. Swimming pool toys for happiness. Never used, New out of the ...

Antler 8-Point Mount from the Southwest region of France presumably from the 1960's. What is particularly nice is the size while not being so large that the Antlers overwhelm the wal...

French miniature Breton Doll furniture, ca 1900 Oak wooden set with a hand-carved classic symbols of Breton design, including pinwheels, ball and stick, and incised flowers. Britta...

French Louis XV-style ormolu mounted kingwood, tulipwood & parquetry grand piano (sgnd C.BECHSTEIN, numbered 20475 for the date 1888)

Little Book of Chanel by Lagerfeld: The Story of the Iconic Fashion Designer, Hardcover Book by Emma Baxter-Wright. Small fashion book: 7 x 5 inches. Elegant and stunningly illustrat...

Mickey Aviateur Hachette French Text Comic Book. Paris: Hachette, 1934. 4to, 32pp. "Illustrations de Walt Disney" in comic strip style. First French Edition. Mickey Mouse is a Pilot ...

Ptolemaic armillary sphere Charles-François Delamarche Paris, ante 1798 Wood and papier-mâché covered with printed and partly hand-colored paper It measures 16.37 in in height x Ø 10.94 in (41.60 cm - Ø 27.80 cm) It weights 2.33 lb (1,058 g) State of conservation: consistent with its age and use, the paper shows some signs of use, stains and abrasions. The sphere is Ptolemaic, with the Earth placed at its center, surrounded by the Moon and the Sun mounted on two metal arms. The sphere is composed of six horizontal and two vertical rings (armillae), each bearing graduations and its own name. The first horizontal ring is illegible. The others, in descending order are: North Pole, Tropic of Cancer, Equator, Tropic of Capricorn, South Pole. The vertical rings consist of two double meridians. The sphere is then connected to the large meridian by two pins, a vertical ring inserted perpendicularly into the circle of the Horizon, in turn supported by four semicircles connected to the turned and black-stained wooden base. Each element is covered with printed paper. It contains various pieces of information: latitudes, length of days, names and zodiac symbols, calendar, wind directions, etc. The vertical circles mention the latitudes and longitudes of different cities: Rome, Bordeaux, Madrid, Boston, Batavia (Jakarta), Acapulco, etc. Even the small terrestrial globe is covered with printed paper: continents and oceans appear with numerous geographical markings indicating the most recent explorations. In the Pacific Ocean, west of South America bears the following inscription: GLOBE TERRESTRIAL à Paris chez Delamarche Géog Rue du Foin Jacques Au Collège de M.e Gervais The North American coasts are well delineated and California appears correctly as a peninsula - reports from Spanish explorers in the region had given rise to confusion as to whether it was connected to the mainland or not. The geographical nature of California was confirmed after the explorations of Juan Bautista de Anza (1774-1776). Alaska is not described and is only partially traced; it would become part of the United States in 1867. Various Pacific islands are indicated. Australia (the name definitely used from 1824) is called "Nouvelle Hollande." Tasmania is still represented as a peninsula and this is an important detail for the dating of our armillary sphere. The island is separated from Australia by Bass Strait, which was crossed by Matthew Flinders for the first time in 1798, showing that it was not a peninsula. Delamarche certainly would not have waited a long time to update such an important geographical datum: presumably he did so shortly after receiving the news. Charles-François Delamarche (1740-1817) founded his laboratory around 1770 and, in a few years, he became the most famous French cartographer and globe maker between the 18th and 19th centuries. After having acquired the laboratory of the late Didier Robert de Vaugondy (1723-1786; himself a renowned cartographer who continued the family business founded by his grandfather Nicolas Sanson in the seventeenth century) and after having purchased, between 1788 and around 1800, the businesses of Jean-Baptiste Fortin (1750-1831) and Jean Lattré (around 1750-1800), he began to call himself "Successeur de MM. Sanson and Robert de Vaugondi, Géographes du Roi and de M. Fortin, Ingénieur-mécanicien du Roi pour les globes et les sphères." Thus, at the end of the eighteenth century, Delamarche possessed the warehouse stocks, as well as the manufacturing skills of the globes of his main rivals in Paris. In addition to this aggressive acquisition policy, the key to its success also lay in the combination of high-quality cartography combined with extremely attractive globes and armillary spheres; and, of course, its famous red paint finishing touch. His laboratory was located on Rue de Foin St Jacques "au Collège Me. (or "Mtre") Gervais" in the Latin Quarter of Paris until around 1805, when he moved to rue du Jardinet No. 13. On the death of Charles-François in 1817, the reins of the company passed to his son Félix (1779-1835), who continued to publish, often in collaboration with the engraver Charles Dien, Sr. In 1835 the company first moved to rue du Jardinet No. 12 and a little later to rue du Battoir No. 7. Bibliography: Dekker, Elly, et al. Globes at Greenwich...

Vintage plastic and glass traditional Catalan soda syphon. By unknown manufacturer, made in circa 1970 In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, prese...

Decorate a shelf or a library with this beautiful antique red book named "La Sainte Vierge"; crafted in Paris, France, circa 1877, the religious book dep...

Thin sheet of partially glazed stamped porcelain with the motif of a chimeric figure embodying the sign of Cancer. Rare item from a limited series created by the artist in 1973 arou...

Unique, practical and highly decorative seat / hall bench with quality carvings. This beautifully carved and striking stool is surrounded by a number of very well designed and execu...

19th century French Giltwood and Verre Eglomise Barometer. The barometer frame is richly decorated with bouquets of flowers, vine branches, shells and palm leaves. The Eglomisé Dial ...

A Mid-Century boxed card Bridge set manufactured by the well known French luxury leather goods company Le Tanneur, circa 1960’s. The prestigious French leather goods company, LE TANNEUR began in 1898 with their line of luxury items called Le Sans Couture. Le Tanneur is known for their timeless elegance and quality. The wood box is covered in a fine-grained tanned black leather with a magnetic gold-tone clasp. The box is beautifully made, lined in green felt, and still in the original brand printed cardboard box. The set includes a full deck of playing cards, colorful plastic betting chips and tokens that store in fitted covered containers, and a gold-plated pencil for keeping score. Also included is a pad of scoring paper...

Vintage Cartier goldstone and silver lighter. A most handsomely chic objet by Cartier from the Forties. Carved goldstone with smooth varied patterning in cylindrical form with silve...

Spectacular replica of the parade shield of King Henry II with two swords Add a royal and historical accent to your interior with this beautiful replica of the parade shield of King...

Virgin and child chromo-lithograph, French, late 19th century Golden frame Good antique condition For shipping: 5 x 31.5 x 47.5 cm 0.8kg.

Terrestrial table globe Félix Delamarche Paris, 1821 It measures 20.47 in height, Ø max 14.17 in; the sphere Ø 9.44 in (h 52 cm x Ø max 36.5 cm; the sphere Ø 24 cm) Wood, printed...

Spanish Brabant map with Brussels, Louvain, and Antwerp quarters, c.1690 Description: This richly detailed antique map depicts the historical region of Spanish Brabant, focusing on ...

A rare and magnificent architectural ecclesiastical iron and bronze altar railing. Created in France in the 19th century, commissioned for a Victorian er...

A particular minimalist french chess game dated to the 1970’s. It features a modernist design with a perforated thick plexiglass base topped with sculptur...

Antique map of Roermond and the Duchy of Guelders with rich detail, c.1667 This beautifully hand-colored 17th-century map presents the region of Roermond and the broader Duchy of Gu...

17th Century Map of Southern Portugal by Sanson – Hand-Colored, 1679 This stunning 1679 map of Portugal offers a captivating glimpse into the past, showcasing the country's geograph...

These two holy Bible books with brown leather covers were printed in Marseilles, France, dated 1953, each of the two books features the new and old testament translated by Robert Tam...