Exceptionel Bookcase Forming Desk, by G. Grohé, France, Circa 1860

An important carved and gilded wood mirror, with a very fine decoration made of flower garlands wrapped around the moulded frame, sculpted with acanthus leaves. A large foliate shell...

Height without/with lampshade : 168/185 cm (66,1 / 72,8 in.) ; Base : 43 x 43 cm (16,9 x 16,9 in.) Beautiful pair of neo-Greek floor lamps in bronze with double patina, composed of cylindrical lamps, decorated on the body with a rotating frieze representing women dressed in the Antique style weaving and spinning, surmounted by lampshades with cut sides in red pleated silk with golden braid. They are placed on pedestals from which hang thin chains attached to the slender shaft decorated with stylized leaves and flowers, resting on a tripod base decorated with large palmettes and ending in lion’s paws. The stylistic repertoire used here, composed in particular of palmettes, masks, and nymphs, evokes Greek Antiquity, as does the reuse of forms of furniture and objects such as tripods and antique vases. The rediscovery in the 18th century of the archaeological remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum allowed artists of all disciplines to draw inspiration from Antiquity while reinterpreting it. This trend did not fade and, in the 19th century, many personalities fitted out their interiors with neo-Greek furniture, as was the case for the Maison Pompéienne built in 1856 by the architect Alfred Normand (1822-1909) for Prince Napoleon, or Empress Eugénie who bought from the Maison Barbedienne pedestals inspired by antique tripods. Related work : Pedestal model presented by Maison Barbedienne at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855. On this occasion, Empress Eugénie bought it for her bathroom in the Château de Saint-Cloud. This model pleased the Empress so much that she ordered two other pairs in 1858 for her boudoir in the palaces of Compiègne and Fontainebleau. (see photo attached) Photo showing a floor lamp similar to ours in Empress Eugénie’s bedroom in the Château de Compiègne (Oise), in Architecture intérieure et Décoration en France des...

Pair of bookcase cabinets. Made with walnut. Very decorative piece with elephants carved in the wood. Three shelves made with glass. Very...

French Art Deco Rosewood desk and bookcase ,in two-piece. The tiered bookcase with six half-moon shelves to the left and bronze-mounted c...