French Collectibles and Curiosities

First Edition, published by Pantheon, New York, 1976. Translated from the French by Richard Miller the book tells through photographs and written reminiscence Brassai’s first hand e...

A portfolio consisting of eighty (80) 16"x12" loose chromolithographs of the most beautiful Japanese fabric designs. Published by the Librairie Centrale des Beaux-Arts, Paris 1905.

1960’s Hermès Bullet Box (signed “Hermès Paris” at the bottom of the box) Half a Bullet in Brass is attached on the top of the lid The inside of ...

This tall French statue of St. Bartholomew was hand-carved from oak in the 1700’s. This depiction of St. Bartholomew is not often seen in art, except for one of the most well known r...

There hasn't been much information regarding this particular type of lay figure, indeed these are exceptionally rare, until fairly recently since the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge ...

Vintage wooden shoe last. By unknown manufacturer from Spain, circa 1940. In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and u...

Colossal Terrestrian globe hand painted, French, first half of the 18th century. Mounted in a 19th century pedestal wood.   

This antique ladies dresser set has no maker's marks but presumed to have been made in approximately 1900 in the 'Louis XVI' style. This seven piece...

Educational puzzle of colored cardboard composed of three folders depicting world map, Europe and France. The world map in addition to the territorial map of the continents depicts t...

Art Deco / Secessionist period Menorah in hammered iron, with scrollwork and stylized spiral decoration, on a circular foot. In the manner of Edgar Brandt hammered candelabra.

Pharmacy Height Measure Stand, Pitch Pine Measuring Stick or Somastometre Once these along with scales were common place in Doctors Surgeries, Chemist S...

Print by engraving on copper plate from the Panckoucke Encyclopédie méthodique, end of the 18th century, volume Marine Planches (more than 1,500 figures dealing with all subjects on the marina: planes, construction, carpentry, tree trunks, armaments of maneuvers, ropes, sails, artillery, ship maneuvers and combat tactics). This is the plate n. 149, page. 166 fig. 1209-1212; with frame cm 57.8 x 31.8. The prospect of the side of a ship is depicted. The Print has the "Benard direxit...

Lithographic print of the diamond rock battle, the main port of the island of Martinique, taken from the book Historical Gallery of Versailles 112. Chacoane is the engraver. Original...

Print by engraving on copper plate of the first half of the 19th century, depicting the bombardment of Cadiz by the French Navy, 23 September 1823. The print is signed peint par Crep...

Louis XVI carved giltwood and painted mercury wheel barometer. Eight inch circular painted wood register dial with central rosette within the scale calibrated from 27-28-29 and ...

Belonged to the series "Rulked by Angels" created by Parisian art Jeweler Line Vautrin (1913-1997) circa 1945-1950, this lovely and uncommon cast bronze belt buckle is called "Le Choeur de Anges...

Yellow gold "Pears" pendant, adorned with coral and a glass paste leaf. It is accompanied by its yellow gold Venetian link chain. Length: 38 cm. P. Brut: 5 G. Circa 1920.

Vintage Gorgeous Leonard Paris silk scarf in mint pristine condition. Authentic Carre Leonard Paris scarf, vintage gray pink black floral print, silk square scarf, hand-rolled edges. Genuine vintage Leonard Paris women collection. Colors: Gray/ pink/ black Size: Large square: 34" x 34" Brand: Leonard Paris Carre silk foulard Leonard Paris . Designed by french artist Leonard Paris. Great gift 100 % silk, handcrafted, Made in France. Vintage 1970's silk scarf accessorie. Leonard Paris House The art of flowers...

A stunningly beautiful 18th century French gold gilt barometer is a weather instrument with mercury-filled glass thermometer still in working order...

Scroll down and click "view all from Seller" to see more than 400 other unique products. Made in France from solid beechwood, this foosball / Babyfoot is the one you will find in Fr...

Unusual handcrafted Art Deco picnic case out of croco leather with hornback. The interior of the picnic case is missing. The object is sewn together and ed...

A French Neoclassical faïence transfer printed creamware plate produced by P&H Choisy, circa 1824-1836. A black transfer of an architectural image on a creamware body, depicting the Temple de Gloire...

Alain Ramié, Picasso: Catalogue of the edited ceramic works 1947-1971, English Edition, published in 1988, by Galerie Madoura, hardbound. Good interior con...

French Modernist Art Deco piano and bench by Pierre-Paul Montagnac, a variant of the model used in one of the luxe apartments, the Caen, on the great French oceanliner Normandie in 1935. Created in rosewood and sycamore, and carefully and correctly restored, including the fine Erard (#127208) instrument. 56” wide x 60” deep. Documented in numerous sources, including the July 1935 issue of Art et Decoration. Pierre-Paul Montagnac (1883-1961) Born in Saint-Denis, France on 9 May 1883, Pierre-Paul Montagnac was equally talented as a fine artist and a decorative artist. He was educated in both disciplines, studying with Eugene Carriére as well as at the Académie de la Grande Chaumiére, both in Paris. His inaugural exhibition was at the 1912 Salons – and at the 1920 Salon d’Automne he received a traveling scholarship. In 1918 he began working in the firm of André Mare and from 1922 collaborated with Maurice Dufrene at La Maîtrise, the famous design studio of Galeries Lafayette. From 1921 he exhibited at the Salons of la Société des Artistes Décorateurs, Salon des Architectes Modernes, and internationally, in Barcelona and Leipzig. He designed suites on the grand French oceanliners, l’Atlantique, Normandie and Pasteur. At the 1925 Paris International Exposition his work was in a standout class. At the 1937 Exhibition he organized the pavillion of the Artistes Decorateurs and personally won a Grand Prix. For the New York Exhibition in 1938, he was a member of the international jury, organized the group of Decorators, and, as architect, organized the exhibitions of jewelry and perfumes. He became a member of the Society of Modern Architects and executed important and numerous architecture and decorating projects including the luxury apartments on the great French oceanliners l’Atlantique, Pasteur, and Normandie. Vice President and then President of the Societe des Artistes Decorateurs from 1930-1938, he was also President of the Salon d’Automne and Vice President of the Committee of the Exhibition of Arts and Embellishments of Life; member of the steering committee of C.T.I. and Artistic Property, member of the Board of Directors of the Central Union of Decorative Arts. He was also an Officer of the Legion of Honor and received the Cross of War. MONTAGNAC was the son of an engineer and he had a taste for geometry and science that predisposed him to the rigors of architectural laws. Multi-talented, he worked independently as a painter – who had paintings acquired by the French government – while also working in the related fields of architecture and decoration. His work included homes, apartments, galleries, luxury shops, banks and the aforesaid oceanliners. As a designer/decorater, Montagnac had the taste for quality, luxurious furniture, using precious woods, bronze extensions, ivory inlays, mother-of-pearl, metal and coral. He advocated for a resolutely modern style and, free of all pastiches, focused on beautiful cabinetry, the challenges of furniture design, particularly from 1940 to 1945, captured all his attention. The tireless activity of Montagnac, whose varied works are represented in official museums and residences, was also recognized from a professional and social point of view. He was a remarkable organizer, devoted to the cause of art, to the defense of the trade and his colleagues. It was Montagnac who, in 1939, with Anatole de Monzie, took the initiative to found the ENTRAIDE to Artists (which provides support to talented young French artists). MOBILIER ET DECORATION, September/October 1953 ERARD An illustrious piano manufacturer, Sebastien Erard began building superior harpsichords in Paris in the mid-1700s, produced pianos for the French Court, and received a multitude of patents, many of which are still in use in piano manufacturing. Erard pianos were marketed as the finest pianos in the world and were owned by Queen Victoria, Franz Liszt, Chopin, Verdi, Ravel, and Felix Mendelssohn among many others. They continued to enjoy international success well into the 20th century. They were known for their unique sound quality, similar to the American square grand piano...

A beautiful antique knife sharpener from the 19th century, comes from France, from a mansion near to Paris. A real unique item.

Impressions of Giverny Monet's World Charles Weckler hardcover book A short text describes impressionist Claude Monet's house and gardens at Giverny, a village 40 miles northwest of...

Original French film poster for Michael Caine's Classic, 1965 spy thriller. Directed by Sidney J. Furie.

Le Chasseur Francais The French Hunter. Year 1931 (12 Numbers - Complete Year 1931) from January 1931 to Dec 1931. Collective French text Published by Le Chasseur Français, Bounded in a Margarine Solo handcrafted cover to protect the old magazines...

A pair of highly stylized clip-on earrings made from 830/1000 silver and set with yellow jade stones. Anonymous French silversmith circa 1925 in the ...

Bernard Buffet. Images Luc Fournol. Legendes Annabel Buffet Jean Widmer. Buffet, Bernard - Druon, Maurice. Bernard Buffet (French: 10 July 1928 – 4 October 1999) was a French painter...

A very rare Louis XVI period serinette or bird organ in the form of a transitional style gilt bronze mounted and marquetry inlaid miniature commode in the manner of gilbert, by Robert Richard, Paris. With a label for ' RICHARD - maitre facteur d’orgues et mécanicien / Rue de richelieu à la bibliothèque Du Roy / Paris 1775'. This rare Serinette or Bird Organ has a wooden cylinder barrel mounted by twelve pins and linked to twelve sound pipes. A crank attached to the front panel controls the bellows that activates the mechanism. The exceptional marquetry inlaid case is in the form of a gilt bronze mounted transitional style miniature commode. The top of the commode is inlaid with a landscape scene with buildings, opening to an interior with an allegory of Love Conquering All, represented by two doves perching on a bow and quiver. The front of the commode depicts two obelisks centred by a Fine musical trophy and each side is inlaid with panels depicting the Medici Vase. The back of the commode is decorated with floral marquetry. A closely related Serinette dating from circa 1770, also in the form of a miniature commode, with the marquetry case stamped by the master marqueteur Leonard Boudin, is in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. The term serinette is derived from serine, French for finch. The instrument worked like a small barrel organ with a barbed cylinder, wind box and lead pipes and produced a high, thin sound in imitation of birds. Other versions included a merline, which copied blackbirds and a turlutaine, which copied curlews. Used to teach caged birds to sing tunes, different barrels could be inserted to train different birds. It first appeared in France circa 1730 and became a popular drawing-room toy for fashionable women. An interesting painting commissioned in 1751 for Louis XV by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin and now in the collection of the Louvre, depicts a refined lady seated in her salon playing a bird organ to encourage her bird to sing. Robert Richard Robert Richard was a Parisian organ and harpsichord maker and the mécanicien du roi to Louis XV and Louis XVI and was based in the Bibliothèque du Roi in rue de Richelieu. Initially working alongside the Cliquot family who acted as 'facteur d'orgue du Roi', he is recorded as building an organ for the church of Notre-Dame de Quebec, in Montreal in 1753 (destroyed in 1759) and as the inventor of a mechanical concert shown in an engraving by d'Eisen in 1769. Canon Jean Marie De La Corne described Robert Richard as : ''Le plus habile ouvrier de paris, fameux mechanitien et Homme de probité''. French, Dated 1775. Literature: Pierre Kjellberg, The French Furniture of the 17th century, The Editions of the Amateur, 2008 Count Francois de Salverte, Cabinetmakers of the 18th century, Editions of Art and History, 1934 Raymond Russell, Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Musical Instruments, Volume I - Keyboard Instruments,(London, 1968; p. 69.) Elizabeth Miller...

Jacques Bellin's copper-plate map entitled "Partie de la Coste de Guinee Dupuis la Riviere de Sierra Leona Jusquau Cap das Palmas", depicting the coast of Guinea and Sierra Leone in ...

A large 19th century pewter and wood decorative birdcage shaped as a French medieval château. This exquisite French château birdcage is a definite must in terms of decorative accents...

From Paris, France, a 1960s Era belt made of gold-tone metal rectangular links with applied medallions, and bakelite 'jewels'. Unusual and impactful! Heavy and very well made. Ass...

Set of seven wooden sculptures, circa 1950 Originally used for textile industries. In original condition with minor wear consistent of age and use, preserving a beautiful patina.

Original French poster for Nijni et Stone French ballet poster from the 1930s This wonderful Art Deco design was created by Obrad Nicolitch (1898-1979) ...

Print by engraving on copper plate from the Panckoucke Encyclopédie méthodique, end of the 18th century,volume Marine Planches (more than 1,500 figures dealing with all subjects on the marina: planes, construction, carpentry, tree trunks, armaments of maneuvers, ropes, sails, artillery, ship maneuvers and combat tactics). This is the plate no. n. 24, pag. 69 fig. 341 ; with frame cm 38.3 x 31.5. Ship ropes are depicted. The Print has the "Benard direxit...

Set of five leather factory portfolios with embossed gilt titles and brass hardware. A unique addition to any desk or library, these beautifully bound ...

Unique, one of a kind, French 19th century patinated bronze sculpture using multiple materials. Main figure of Viking holding a battle axe. Bronze mounted h...

Double fassamano eyeglasses (from the French face-en-main), made with a double articulated eyewear, one with lenses and one without, mounted on the upper part, signed Lugene, made of...

Very elegant shop display of a bottle of Champagne, Ruinart.

A pair of french church two-arm wall candle sconces, gilt bronze decorated with leaf motifs, beautiful aged patina, France, mid-19th century. For indoor and outdoor use.

Moldings labeled "Auzoux 9 rue de l'Ecole de Médecine Paris 6e". Dimensions: Internal organs 54 x 36 Starfish 42 x 43.5.

Yellow gold “Boule” ring, perfect sphere adorned with faceted round sapphires and small brilliants. Ring size: 58. P. Brut: 13.5g France, circa 1920.

Jacques Bellin's copper-plate map of the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts entitled "Carte De De l'Isle St. Christophe Pour servir á l'Histoire Genle. des V...

Christie's Important Mobilier et Objets d’Art, Orfèvrerie, Ceramiques Européennes, Arts d’Asie, Juin 2003. Christie's Paris, 2003. 1st Ed softcover with results. This sale also inclu...

19th century solid wood coffee table. Above it has a glass back In the centre it has a brass pot for flowers. Measures: 50 cm high and 110 c...

Vintage silk crochet handbag all covered in tiny sea shells with a cream round Bakelite handle, very whimsical and chic!

Print by engraving on copper plate from the Panckoucke Encyclopédie méthodique, end of the 18th century, volume Marine Planches (more than 1,500 figures dealing with all subjects on ...

Rectangular micromosaic plate featuring a shepherd, seated and resting with his dog at his feet. The shepherd is wearing a woolen cloak over his colorful clothes. He is holding a hat in his left hand and his staff in his right. A wicker basket at his feet is filled with a bouquet of flowers and a bunch of grapes. This pastoral theme is characteristic of the micromosaic production of Gioacchino...

Antique, mint and rare bronze statue of Jeanne D'arc, Frances most famous patron saint. 25 years after her short lived & heroic life, Joan of Arc, who had wrongly been sentenced to ...

A dark red model truck of an antique French lorry with opening doors and removable back part, in good condition. Hand crafted in wood and hand painted. Min...

An outstanding French mid-16th century Body of Christ. Expertly carved from natural fruitwood. Stunning patina. The corpus has been attached to a base i...

White gold ring, adorned with four princess diamonds surrounded and supported by brilliant cut diamonds. Ring size: 50. P. Brut: 3.4g France, circa 1920.

Silvered bronze sculpture of a women dancing. Lovely lady. It has a alabaster tray or plate that can be use for jewelry, personal cards or keys. Made in...

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...

Issey Miyake Making Things Published by Scalo/Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Zurich/Berlin/New York, 1999. (Exhibition held in Paris between 13 October 1998 and 28 F...

An original antique engraving entitled "Joppe; in ’t Hebreeusch by ouds Japho; hedendaags Japha, of Jaffa; volgens d’aftekening gedaan 1668", by Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville (1600 - 1667). This is a view of the city of Joppe (in Hebrew Japho), now called Japha or Jaffa, the harbor portion of modern day Tel Aviv, Israel as it appeared in 1668 . It depicts a very busy harbor with numerous boats. A large ship on the left appears to be firing its canons and a small ship on the right appears to be sitting very low in the water, either heavily loaded with cargo or sinking. The town is seen on the far shore with a fortress on a hill across in the background. The map is printed from the original Sanson copperplate and was published in 1709 by his descendants. The map is presented in an ornate brown wood frame embellished by gold-colored leaves and gold inner trim with a double mat; the outer mat is cream-colored and the inner mat is black. There is a central vertical fold, as issued. There are two small spots in the lower margin and one in the upper margin, as well as two tiny spots adjacent to the central fold. 1717 is written below the date 1668 in the inscription. The map is otherwise in very good condition. Another map of the "Holy Land" (by Claes Visscher in 1663), with an identical style frame and mat is available. This pair of maps would make a wonderful display grouping. Please see Reference #LU5206220653552. A discount is available for the purchase of the pair of maps. Artist: Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville (1600-1667) and his descendents were important French cartographer's active through the 17th century. Sanson started his career as a historian and initially utilized cartography to illustrate his historical treatises. His maps came to the attention of Cardinal Richelieu and then King Louis XIII of France, who became a supporter and sponsor. He subsequently appointed Sanson 'Geographe Ordinaire du Roi' the official map maker to the king. Sanson not only created maps for the king, but advised him on geographical issues and curated his map collection...